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Fettuccine with Beef, Pancetta, and Red Wine Bolognese Sauce

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Yield

Serves 4

Fettuccine with Beef, Pancetta, and Red Wine Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 ounces pancetta minced2 tablespoons minced onion 2 tablespoons carrot minced2 tablespoons celery minced¾ pound meatloaf mix table salt 1 cup whole milk 1 cup red wine 1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)1 pound fettuccine driedParmesan cheese freshly grated

Before You Begin

All ground beef (rather than meatloaf mix) works best with the pancetta in this sauce. If you can’t find pancetta, use prosciutto, but don’t use American bacon, which is smoked and will overwhelm the beef. We found that red wine stands up to the more robust flavors in this sauce better than white wine.

Instructions

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add ground meat and ½ teaspoon salt; crumble meat into tiny pieces with edge of wooden spoon. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add milk and bring to a simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with occasional bubble or two at surface, until liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours (if the lowest burner setting is too high to allow such a low simmer, use a flame tamer—see page 000). Adjust seasonings with extra salt to taste. Keep sauce warm. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days or frozen for several months. Warm over low heat before serving.)
  3. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta, leaving some water dripping from noodles. Toss with sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Distribute among individual bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan cheese separately.
Fettuccine with Beef, Pancetta, and Red Wine Bolognese Sauce

Fettuccine with Beef, Pancetta, and Red Wine Bolognese Sauce

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta minced
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons carrot minced
2 tablespoons celery minced
¾ pound meatloaf mix
table salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup red wine
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 pound fettuccine dried
Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta minced
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons carrot minced
2 tablespoons celery minced
¾ pound meatloaf mix
table salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup red wine
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 pound fettuccine dried
Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta minced
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons carrot minced
2 tablespoons celery minced
¾ pound meatloaf mix
table salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup red wine
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 pound fettuccine dried
Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Before You Begin

All ground beef (rather than meatloaf mix) works best with the pancetta in this sauce. If you can’t find pancetta, use prosciutto, but don’t use American bacon, which is smoked and will overwhelm the beef. We found that red wine stands up to the more robust flavors in this sauce better than white wine.

Instructions

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add ground meat and ½ teaspoon salt; crumble meat into tiny pieces with edge of wooden spoon. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add milk and bring to a simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with occasional bubble or two at surface, until liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours (if the lowest burner setting is too high to allow such a low simmer, use a flame tamer—see page 000). Adjust seasonings with extra salt to taste. Keep sauce warm. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days or frozen for several months. Warm over low heat before serving.)
  3. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta, leaving some water dripping from noodles. Toss with sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Distribute among individual bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

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