Spicy Merguez Bolognese

Ingredients 0/11

Step 1

Warm some oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat until it’s shimmering. Toss in the pancetta and cook it, stirring frequently, until the fat renders out and it gets a bit crispy—this should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Next, add the chopped carrot, onion, and celery, seasoning everything with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let the veggies soften and develop a light golden color, stirring now and then, for around 10 minutes.

Step 2

Now, crank the heat up to medium-high and add the ground beef along with the merguez sausage. Break the meat up with your spoon and cook until it’s nicely browned all over, which usually takes about 12 to 15 minutes. If there’s too much fat, go ahead and drain a little off.

Step 3

Pour in the Chianti and cook it down until most of the liquid evaporates. Turn the heat back down to medium and stir in the tomato paste. Let it cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce darkens and deepens in flavor.

Step 4

Pour in just enough milk to barely cover the meat mixture. Keep it at a gentle simmer, stirring every now and then, until all the milk has cooked off and you’re left with a rich, thick sauce. This will take about an hour to an hour and a half. Give it a taste at the end and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.