45-Minute Rigatoni Bolognese with Beef, Sausage & Cream

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A weeknight bolognese that tastes like it simmered all afternoon: ground beef and Italian sausage browned hard, deglazed with white wine, simmered with milk and crushed tomatoes, then finished with a splash of heavy cream and a fistful of Parmesan so the sauce clings to every rigatoni ridge. Inspired by the generous, cream-enriched meat sauce served at Midwest Italian-American dining rooms — and it freezes beautifully.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
• 8 oz bulk sweet Italian sausage (or links, casings removed)
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 piece Parmesan rind (optional)

• 1 lb rigatoni
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley or basil, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a wide 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 7 to 8 minutes, until softened and just beginning to color. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and sausage. Break the meat into large chunks with a wooden spoon and then leave it alone for 3 to 4 minutes to brown on one side. Continue cooking, breaking the meat into smaller pieces, for 8 to 10 minutes total, until no pink remains and there are plenty of browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Do not drain the fat — it carries the flavor.
3. Push the meat to one side, add the tomato paste to the bare spot, and fry it for 60 to 90 seconds until it darkens to brick red, then stir it through the meat.
4. Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot clean. Simmer briskly for 3 to 4 minutes, until the harsh alcohol smell is gone and the liquid has reduced by about half.
5. Add the milk and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it is mostly absorbed into the meat — this is what makes a fast bolognese taste long-cooked and keeps the beef tender.
6. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, nutmeg, oregano, and the Parmesan rind if using. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low so the sauce barely blips. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick, glossy, and a slick of orange fat rises at the edges. Add a splash of water if it tightens too much.
7. While the sauce simmers, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rigatoni and cook 1 minute less than the package's lowest time, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain.
8. Remove the Parmesan rind. Stir the heavy cream into the sauce and simmer 2 minutes — it should turn a warm rust color. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
9. Add the drained rigatoni to the pot along with 1/2 cup pasta water, the 2 tablespoons butter, and 1 cup grated Parmesan. Toss over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, adding more pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce is creamy and packed into the ridges rather than pooling in the pot.
10. Kill the heat, rest 2 minutes, then serve in warm bowls with the chopped parsley or basil and a heavy shower of extra Parmesan.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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