Adding milk to your spaghetti bolognese could be the key to a richer, more flavourful sauce, according to recipe developer Heidi Larsen. The ingredient, which is likely already in your fridge, helps tenderise the meat and adds depth to the dish.
The surprising ingredient
Larsen, who runs the popular Foodie Crush site, recommends adding milk to the sauce. "Influenced by Northern Italy’s neighbouring French love of dairy and butter, the addition of milk tenderises the simmering meats as it’s absorbed, adding richness to the sauce," she explains. She suggests using whole milk for the added butterfat, but notes that 2% milk works too.
How to make it
Larsen also advises skipping garlic, as authentic bolognese doesn't include it. Her method involves frying onion, celery, and carrot in butter, then blending tomatoes and pancetta. She lightly browns ground beef and pork, noting that the meat is only partly cooked at this stage, as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Next, she stirs in tomato paste, followed by the meat tenderisers. Finally, she adds tomatoes, aromatics, and broth. She recommends cooking the sauce for at least three hours, saying, "This sauce is best after a long, slow simmer for the flavours to develop. And it’s just as good (if not better) the next day."
Serving and storage
Larsen likes to serve the bolognese over long, wide noodles like pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccine, or spaghetti, or use it to top penne or rigatoni. The sauce lasts in the fridge for up to five days and can be frozen.
