Barbara Lynch's Tagliatelle Bolognese Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 09, 2018
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Yesterday, Boston correspondent Liz Bomze wrote about chef Barbara Lynch's sauce Bolognese, which she serves at No. 9 Park and her other Boston restaurants. I stupidly wrote in the comments that you could email me and I'd send you the recipe when I should've just outright shared the recipe with all of you right here in the first place.

It's a truly awesome dish. I make huge batches of this stuff, jar it, and give it out as gifts. It's the standard Christmas present for my mom, and she's never not liked it (and my mom's a tough sell).

The recipe may seem a little fussy with a couple different pots and pans that all end up getting dumped into one bigger one, but for what you get out of it, it's worth the small effort.

Note: If you don't have veal stock, you can replace it with more chicken stock.

Recipe Details

Barbara Lynch's Tagliatelle Bolognese Recipe

Cook 2 hrs 50 mins
Chilling Time 8 hrs
Total 10 hrs 50 mins
Serves 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pound coarsely ground pork shoulder

  • 1 pound coarsely ground veal

  • 1 pound coarsely ground lamb

  • 1/2 pound chicken livers, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup minced fresh sage leaves

  • 1 large onion, finely diced

  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced

  • 2 large carrots, finely diced

  • 1 bottle dry red wine

  • 2 cups chicken stock

  • 2 cups veal stock (you can use all chicken if you'd like)

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes, drained and squeezed between your fingers into medium-sized chunks (liquid reserved)

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

  • 4 tablespoons butter

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • Kosher salt and freshly gound black pepper

  • Torn basil leaves and Parmigiano-Reggiano to finish

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch Oven over high heat until smoking. Add the pork, veal, and lamb, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up large chunks of meat until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, heat another 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Add chicken livers and sage and cook, stirring constantly, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer contents to pot with cooking meats. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring and flipping frequently until beginning to soften but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to pot with meats and stir to combine.

  3. Add wine to meats and bring to a boil over high heat. Allow to reduce until almost gone, about 15 minutes. Add chicken stock, veal stock, tomatoes, and half of basil and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors are married and sauce is reduced to a thick, spoon-coating consistency, about 2 hours.

  4. Add butter and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. For best flavor, remove from heat, allow to cool, and refrigerate at least overnight, and up to three nights. Fat will settle on top. Do not discard fat; stir it back into the sauce as you reheat it.

  5. Reheat, stir in remaining basil and parsley, and serve over tagliatelle, pappardelle, or gnocchi with Parmigiano-Reggiano, torn basil, and freshly ground black pepper.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
629Calories
47gFat
13gCarbs
34gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories629
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 47g60%
Saturated Fat 22g110%
Cholesterol 257mg86%
Sodium 783mg34%
Total Carbohydrate 13g5%
Dietary Fiber 3g9%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 25mg124%
Calcium 101mg8%
Iron 4mg25%
Potassium 790mg17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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