Creamy White Bolognese Sauce For Pasta
Discover the secret to a creamy, flavorful White Bolognese Sauce, perfect with pasta, gnocchi, or creamy polenta. This easy-to-follow recipe features pancetta, mixed meats, and rich herbs, flavored with white wine, half-and-half and lots of cheese and lemon zest.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 827kcal
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the white bolognese sauce
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup sweet onion, finely diced, about 1 medium or ½ large
- 1 cup carrot, peeled and finely diced, about 1 large
- 1 cup celery, finely diced, about 2 stalks
- 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground veal
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- 1½ cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 2 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 medium lemon, zester
For serving
- 1 lb dried pasta
- Gnocchi or polenta
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Cook the pancetta. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add 4 oz diced pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a bowl.
- Cook the soffrito. To the pot, add 4 Tbsp unsalted butter. Once melted, add diced onion, carrot, and celery, then season with ½ tsp kosher salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add 5 cloves chopped garlic, stir, then cook 1 minute more.
- Add ground meat. Add 1 lb ground pork and 1 lb ground veal, then season with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a spatula as needed.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in 1½ cups dry white wine, allowing it to reduce and evaporate, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t worry, all the flavor stays behind!
- Skim the fat. Once the wine reduces, you’ll see excess fat float to the top of the pan. Use a spoon to skim the fat, then discard. This will yield about ½-¾ cup of fat. Removing this makes the white bolognese sauce less greasy. Return the cooked pancetta to the pot.
- Add the liquid. Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock) and 2 cups half-and-half. Stir in 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 bay leaf, and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for about 45 minutes. Give the ragu a stir occasionally and lower the heat as needed if it begins bubbling too much.
- Finish the bolognese. Remove the bay leaf, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more kosher salt or pepper if you like.
- When ready to serve, cook pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente, meaning just slightly undercooked by 1-2 minutes. This is important! Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, do NOT rinse, and set aside.
- Cook with pasta in the sauce. Transfer as much bolognese as you want to a large skillet. Heat over medium high heat until bubbly. Add all dente pasta directly to the pan along with ¼ - ½ cup mascarpone cheese, the zest of 1 lemon, and lots of grated Parmesan (the amount will depend on how much pasta you add – start with ¼ cup and go up from there). Cook, stirring or shaking the pan often, so that each piece of pasta is completely coated with sauce. To finish, add a couple tablespoons (more if making a lot of pasta) of the reserved pasta cooking water to help bind the sauce together. The starch from cooking the pasta will thicken the sauce!
- To serve: Divide the pasta between bowls, then serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary, freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. I know it sounds like a lot, but this is what makes the pasta sauce exceptional! Love black pepper? Add as much as you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition facts include 1 lb dried pasta. Nutritional information would be different for gnocchi or polenta.
- Make-ahead: The white bolognese sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freezing: The sauce can be frozen forup to 3 months.Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 827kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3386IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 3mg
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