Recipe Courtesy of Wini Moranville’s The Bonne Femme Cookbook
You might think I’ve totally lost it after you read my next statement. This recipe for a French Bolognese sauce is one of the best Bolognese sauces I’ve ever tasted. Tres étrange, right? Believe it or not, the French make some really good pasta dishes. What is so interesting about French pasta dishes is the French twists they put on them; they sub in classic French tastes and regional ingredients into their pasta dishes that give them quite a unique spin.
Take this hearty Bolognese sauce for example; it starts with the traditional combination of onions, carrots and garlic and a combination of both ground beef and pork. Crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine…sounding Italian, right? And then come those surprise French twists. Instead of basil and oregano, they sub in herbs de provence; and wait, there’s more. To add extra flavor and texture, they also add in porcini mushrooms for more meatiness. And the real kicker is the cheese. Where Italians would use either Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top, the French use a nutty Gruyere or Emmental cheeese instead. A superb French version of an Italian classic—now that’s what I call une bonne idée.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
‘Tagliatelli alla Bolognese Francese’
Ingredients:
- Recipe Courtesy of Wini Moranville’s The Bonne Femme Cookbook
- ¾ oz. dried porcini mushrooms
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs de provence, crushed
- ½ lb. lean ground beef
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained, pureed in food processor
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 lb. dried tagliatelle or fettucine
- ¼ cup grated Gruyere, Comte or Emmental cheese, plus more for serving
Directions:
- Put the mushrooms in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes. Lift the mushrooms out of the liquid, chop and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until it shimmers. Add in the carrot and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is tender but not brown, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs de Provence and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Add the meats and cook, stirring with wooden spoon to break up the meat into tiny bits, until the meat is no longer pink but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped porcini, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the milk and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring, until milk almost evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Add the wine. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes and the paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the cream and the cheese; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Serve the pasta with the sauce, and a sprinkling of the grated cheese.
Tagged: bolognese, fettuccine, French, French bolognese, French pasta, marinara sauce, meat sauce, pasta, pasta sauce, tagliatelle
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