Merguez Bolognese Sauce

This bolognese is a step away from the traditional Bolognese sauce. Warning: for those with a milder palate, you may wish to use less merguez. If you're daring, use all merguez. Serve over preferred pasta.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr
• Calories: 333 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ½ pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces tomato paste
• 1 ounce pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• ½ pound merguez sausage, casings removed
• ½ cup Chianti wine
• ½ cup whole milk, or as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat until simmering. Add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until fat has rendered, 10 to 12 minutes. Add carrot, onion, and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Add ground beef and merguez sausage and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring to break meat into small pieces, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain excess fat as needed.

Step 3

Add Chianti and cook until liquid has almost evaporated. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomato paste. Cook until sauce turns dark red, 3 to 5 minutes. Add enough milk to barely cover the meat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has evaporated and the mixture turns into a thick rich sauce, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.