White Bolognese

This was my first white (tomato-free) Bolognese. I loved that this version incorporated mushrooms. I also substituted ground turkey for the ground pork to lighten it a little bit. Maybe I’ll try it with ground pork next time. 😉

This recipe was adapted from Cooking in Real Life: Delicious and Doable Recipes for Everyday via Food and Wine, contributed by Lidey Heuck. I modified the method and proportions. I used Cascatelli pasta but may try orecchiette next time. The fennel seeds were absolutely essential. Great.

Yield: Serves 6

• 4 oz diced pancetta
• 8 to 10 oz cremini mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 large or 1 medium onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped (1 cup)
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 8 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey or ground pork
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock, chicken broth, or water
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound uncooked orecchiette pasta (I used Cascatelli)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low to medium heat. (I used an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
2. Add pancetta, and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid released by mushrooms has mostly evaporated, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Increase heat to medium to medium-high.
5. Add carrots, onion, celery, butter, fennel seeds, oregano, salt, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. Add ground meat and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to break meat until browned, about 4 minutes.
8. Add wine and bring to a simmer.
9. Add broth and cream and return to a simmer.
10. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until broth mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to about 5 cups, about 15 minutes.
11. While Bolognese cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions for al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
12. Add cooked pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water to Bolognese. Cook over low, stirring constantly, until a creamy sauce forms and coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
13. Season with salt to taste.
14. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with parsley and cheese.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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