Description
This White Bolognese Sauce Recipe offers a rich and creamy twist on the traditional Italian meat sauce. Made with ground pork, pancetta, and a blend of aromatic vegetables, herbs, and Parmesan rind, this sauce is slowly simmered in white wine, chicken broth, and whole milk to develop deep, layered flavors. Perfect to serve over your favorite pasta such as pappardelle, spaghetti, or rigatoni.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Fat
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt, to taste
Vegetables
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 onion, diced
Liquids
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
Herbs and Spices
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2-inch parmesan rind
Instructions
- Cook Pancetta: In a Dutch oven or large pot, cook diced pancetta over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until browned and crisp. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Sauté Vegetables: Reduce heat to medium. Add diced carrots, celery, and onion to the pot. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are softened and slightly caramelized.
- Brown Pork and Garlic: Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground pork and minced garlic to the pot, breaking up the meat with a spatula. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the pork is browned and cooked through. Season lightly with salt.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pot, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Allow the wine to simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced and fragrant.
- Add Broth and Herbs: Stir in the chicken broth, bay leaves, fresh thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, and parmesan rind. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let it cook gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add Milk and Simmer: Stir in the whole milk, cover again, and continue cooking for 45-60 minutes until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld. For a thicker consistency, uncover during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking to allow some liquid to evaporate.
- Finish Sauce: Skim any excess grease from the top of the sauce. Stir well, taste, and adjust salt as needed.
- Serve: Toss the sauce with cooked pappardelle, spaghetti, or rigatoni, or spoon it generously over the pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
- The pancetta adds a rich, smoky flavor and renders flavorful fat to cook the vegetables.
- Simmering the sauce slowly allows the flavors to meld and the sauce to develop depth.
- Using whole milk enriches the sauce and balances the acidity from the wine and broth.
- Removing excess grease at the end keeps the sauce from becoming too oily.
- Try to use fresh herbs for optimal flavor.
- The Parmesan rind adds umami and depth during simmering—don’t forget to remove it before serving.
- This sauce pairs wonderfully with wide pasta noodles like pappardelle or rigatoni which hold the creamy sauce well.
