Yields: 7-8 cups
Preparation Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 55 minutes
Ingredients:
– 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
– 2 celery stalks, chopped
– 1 carrot, chopped
– 1 onion, chopped
– Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
– 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
– 1/3 cup of tomato paste
– 1/2 cup of dry red wine
– 2 pounds of ground beef
– 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
– 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
– 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
– 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried basil
– 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
– 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
– 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
– 1 parmesan rind (optional)
To serve:
– 1 pound of fettuccine
– Grated parmesan cheese, for serving
– Chopped fresh basil, for serving
– Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, which should take about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Then, add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the red wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until it reduces mostly, which should take around 3 minutes. Transfer this mixture to the base of a slow cooker.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until nicely browned, which should take about 15 minutes. Remove any excess fat. Stir in the milk and cook until mostly absorbed by the meat, around 7 minutes. Transfer this to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and parmesan rind if using. Season with salt. Stir well, cover, and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6 hours).
4. Skim off any fat on top and check the consistency. If it’s too thick, add some water. Remove the parmesan rind.
5. To serve: Boil a large pot of water, season with salt, and cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water and drain the pasta.
6. Toss the pasta with half of the bolognese sauce and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water (or
