This dish is more properly called bolognese bianco (white bolognese) or, even more properly, a ragù bianco (bolognese is a style of ragù from the Bologna region). I just think Blonde Bolognese sounds more fun 😂. It’s a perfect alternative to tomato-based sauces, without being creamy.

It’s absolutely a dish I’d have bubbling away if there are friends coming over. Imagine: the sauce sits simmering, filling the kitchen with wonderful aromas while you have appetizers, maybe a glass of red. Then you throw in the pasta, and a handful of parsley, just before serving. Put the whole thing on the table, and allow people to help themselves. Easy peasy!

Essentially, it’s minced pork/beef (some recipes throw in Italian sausage meat), pancetta, soffritto (onion, celery, carrot; excellent explanation of various bases here), stock, wine, milk (some recipes use cream), and herbs, simmered for a nice amount of time, before throwing in the cooked pasta to finish in the sauce. The milk helps to tenderise the meat.

This sauce pairs well with larger pasta types. Here I used a casarecce, which was a great texture.

Blonde bolognese goes a very long way, and is also good reheated. For another non-tomato pasta dish, try this garlic prawn one!

“I cook in such a unique way than most chefs; sometimes I walk around the kitchen with nothing on so I can really absorb the feel of the ingredients around me.”
-Massimo Bottura, Italian Chef, from “Chef’s Table” (do/don’t do this at home?)

Ingredients

Soffritto

1 carrot, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
1 onion, finely chopped

Other

600 g pork or beef mince (ground), or a mixture
120 g pancetta, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1½ cups white wine
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
450 g pasta – casarecce/fettucini/tagliatelle/rigatoni. Normally allow 100g dried pasta per person but with this sauce, a smaller amount goes a surprisingly long way
herbs of your choosing (parsley, thyme, rosemary)
lemon, squeeze plus some zest if you wish (optional)
parmesan to finish
olive oil, salt, pepper

Instructions

Fry pancetta in olive oil until fat renders off, but that it doesn't get too dark.
Add onion, celery and carrot to pan and gently cook until soft. Add a little more oil if necessary. Remove soffritto and pancetta from pan.
Fry meat, breaking it up, until mostly cooked. Add back in the pancetta, onion/celery/carrot mix, as well as the garlic.
Add wine and cook for about 4 minutes, continuing to break up meat, until wine reduces.
Add 1 cup of stock, ½ cup milk, herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer slowly on a low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add remaining 1 cup of stock and remaining ½ cup milk. Continue to simmer slowly on a low heat, partially covered, for another 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. If the heat is low enough it should not dry out, but if it ever does, add in a little extra stock.
Start cooking pasta according to packet directions. Be sure not to overcook, as it will finish in the sauce. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
Add salt, pepper, squeeze of lemon and zest if using. Any additional herbs.
By now the bolognese will have been cooking for about 1 hour and 40/45 minutes. Add drained pasta, pasta water and stir continuously but gently for a few minutes, ensuring ingredients are well distributed and pasta soaks up the juices from the bolognese.
At this point, if you like your pasta creamier, you could add in a little extra milk or some cream.
Add any extra herbs, salt, pepper. Serve sprinkled with parmesan.

Hello!

Blonde Bolognese