Black Garlic Bolognese
A delicious, rich meat sauce with layers upon layers of flavour. Black garlic packs quite the umami punch! It’s made by ageing regular white garlic, which gives it a delicious sweet and savoury taste. It adds depth and richness to the dish, making for a tasty twist on a traditional bolognese.
The key to a tasty bolognese is patience. Low and slow is the name of the game. Getting that depth of flavour takes time—it’ll take around 3 hours from start to finish—but most of that time is hands-off. Serve it Bolognese-style with pappardelle or use it as a base for a lasagna.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Pasta
Ingredients
- 150 g pancetta, finely diced
- 800 g beef mince (10 to 15% fat)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- olive oil
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
- 2 tbsps double concentrated tomato purée
- 75 g black garlic paste
- 200 ml light or medium-bodied red wine
- 2 x 400g tins of good-quality crushed tomatoes or passata (I use Mutti)
- 1 beef or chicken stock pot
- 200 ml water
- 200 ml whole milk
Instructions
- Add the diced pancetta to a large Dutch oven. Place the pot on to the stove over medium heat; starting with a cold pot helps render the fat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered out and the pancetta is browned and beginning to crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to plate, leaving the fat behind.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the beef mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher (it works surprisingly well!). Cook until the juices have evaporated and the meat is beginning to browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer the beef to a plate using a spider or slotted spoon.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery and splash of olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nice and soft, around 10 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and rosemary, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato purée and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to darken, around 2 minutes. Then add the black garlic paste and stir to combine.
- Add the red wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced by around ¾, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the crushed tinned tomatoes, stock and milk. Return the mince to the pot and bring everything to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened, 2 to 2 ½ hours.
- If needed, simmer the ragù uncovered over medium-low heat to thicken, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Serve Bolognese-style with tagliatelle or pappardelle or use it as a base for a delicious lasagna.
Storage: the ragù can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, loosen with a little stock or water and heat over the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. It also freezes exceptionally well; cool, transfer to freezer-safe, airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight and heat over the stove or in the microwave until piping hot.
