An Improper Bolognese

As my wife Marci’s birthday approached a couple of weeks ago, I asked her what she wanted to do about dinner. She could choose any restaurant for a proper celebration, of course, but immediately responded that she wanted me to make a Bolognese over fresh, homemade pappardelle with a spoonful of fresh ricotta on the side. It was a little surprising as she rarely eats pasta, but I happily obliged.

For a long time her go-to birthday meal was shrimp scampi over fresh pasta. But that meal ended several years back when she woke up with hives and a swollen face, and an allergist warned her against ever eating shrimp again. Still, she wanted pasta and requested a Bolognese.

As Marci also recently eliminated pork from her diet, I would not be able to make a proper Bolognese, which contains ground pork and beef as well as pancetta. She wanted me to use ground turkey in its place. Turkey is perfectly fine in some dishes, but it’s rather dull in flavor and lacks the fat needed for Bolognese. I would have to find another way to give it a serious savory boost. Several months back we had a delicious lamb sauce at an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, so I knew that ground lamb would be a good addition to the turkey. Luckily, she agreed.

I shopped for all the ingredients and since this sauce needs the slowest of simmers for hours, I woke early on a Saturday morning to cook. When she asked what I was making, I replied “a Bolognese for your birthday.” Out of nowhere she replied that a Bolognese was not what she really wanted. Needless to say, I was frustrated. Some back and forth revealed that she was looking for a modified Bolognese with significantly more tomato, but not as tomato forward as my normal pasta sauce. She was concerned that I wasn’t listening, but I knew I could make it work and assured her it would be what she desired.

I spent the entire morning sautéing and simmering, making substitutions and additions as needed. Along with the turkey and lamb in place of pork and beef, I added tomato paste for an umami kick and a bit of butter to amp up the fat and creaminess, neither of which are found in conventional Bolognese. Garlic is often left out, but I added some to round out the extra tomato that was requested, sliced paper thin so as not to overwhelm.

The result was divine. It was thick, creamy, and meaty, a bit more saucy and acidic than customary because of the added tomato. And while I diverged from the traditional, served on top of thick ribbons of homemade pasta, Marci was overjoyed with her improper Bolognese.

Improper Bolognese

While you can make a perfectly good meaty tomato sauce in about an hour, it is not Bolognese. Bolognese takes time. Don’t rush it.

This recipe makes a voluminous amount of sauce, far more than can be enjoyed by two people in a single meal. But it freezes beautifully. And since you will be cooking for hours, it makes sense to prepare extra for a quick but delicious dinner at some point in the future.

makes about 2.5 quarts serving six, about 4 hours

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1½ large onions, finely minced

2 stalks celery, finely minced

1½ large carrots, finely minced

1 lb. ground lamb

1½ to 2 lbs. ground turkey 93% lean, 7% fat

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. butter

1½ cups dry white wine

1½ cups whole milk

2 – 28 oz. cans good quality crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

1. Place olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, ground lamb, and ground turkey in an approximately 5-quart Dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and meat starts to brown, about a half hour.
2. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes, allowing it to brown slightly on the bottom of the pan. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and butter. Stir to combine.
3. Pour in white wine and deglaze the pan for a couple of minutes, scraping up any tasty browned bits with a wooden spoon.
4. Add milk, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
5. Add crushed tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken broth. Cook uncovered over the lowest possible heat so it is barely simmering for 2½ to 3 hours, stirring every handful of minutes. Add chicken stock a half cup at a time, as needed, if it looks too dry. Taste and add more salt if necessary, remembering that any cheese grated over the top will boost the salt level as well.
6. If you have time, allow the sauce to sit overnight in the refrigerator to let the flavors fully meld. Heat before serving over pasta, preferably fresh.

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