Weeknight Pasta Bolognese 

From Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4 to 6

Sweet white wines such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and even white
Zinfandel work especially well with this sauce. To obtain the best
texture, be careful not to break up the meat too much when cooking it with
the milk in step 4. With additional cooking and stirring, it will continue
to break up. Just about any pasta shape complements this sauce, but we
like spaghetti or linguine in particular.

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/4 cups "sweet" white wine (see note)
1/2 small carrot, peeled and chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/4 
cup)
1/2 small onion, chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/3 cup)
3 ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small garlic clove, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1/2 
teaspoon)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 pounds meatloaf mix (or equal amounts 80 percent lean ground beef, 
ground 
veal, and ground pork)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound pasta (see note)
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Cover porcini mushrooms with 1/2 cup water in small microwave-safe bowl;
cover bowl with plastic wrap, cut a few steam vents with paring knife, and
microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms have
softened, about 5 minutes. Using fork, lift porcini from liquid and
transfer to second small bowl; pour soaking liquid through mesh strainer
lined with paper towel. Set porcini and strained liquid aside.

Bring wine to simmer in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat;  
reduce heat to low and simmer until wine is reduced to 2 tablespoons,
about 20 minutes. Set reduced wine aside.

Meanwhile, pulse carrot in food processor until broken down into rough
1/4-inch pieces, about ten 1-second pulses. Add onion; pulse until
vegetables are broken down to 1/8-inch pieces, about ten 1-second pulses.  
Transfer vegetables to small bowl.

Process softened porcini until well ground, about 15 seconds, scraping
down bowl if necessary. Transfer porcini to bowl with onions and carrots.

Process pancetta until pieces are no larger than 1/4 inch, 30 to 35
seconds, scraping down bowl if necessary; transfer to small bowl.

Pulse tomatoes with juice until chopped fine, 6 to 8 one-second pulses.

Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; when foaming
subsides, add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned,
about 2 minutes.

Add carrot, onion, and porcini; cook, stirring frequently, until
vegetables are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes.

Add garlic and sugar;  cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground
meats, breaking meat into 1- inch pieces with wooden spoon, about 1
minute.

Add milk and stir to break meat into 1/2-inch bits; bring to simmer,
reduce heat to medium, and continue to simmer, stirring to break up meat
into small pieces, until most liquid has evaporated and meat begins to
sizzle, 18 to 20 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and cook until combined, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, reserved porcini soaking liquid, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and
pepper; bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium
and simmer until liquid is reduced and sauce is thickened but still moist,
12 to 15 minutes.

Stir in reduced wine and simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil, covered, in stockpot.  
Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al
dente.  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, and return pasta to
stockpot.

Add 2 cups sauce and 2 tablespoons pasta water to pasta; toss well, adding
remaining pasta water, if necessary, to help distribute sauce.

Divide pasta among individual bowls and top each portion with about 1/4
cup remaining sauce. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.


Portioning Tomato Paste Recipes often call for only a tablespoon or two of
tomato paste. Unfortunately, the rest of the can often ends up turning
brown in the refrigerator and then being discarded. Several readers sent
us versions of this useful suggestion.

Open both ends of the tomato paste can. Remove the lid from one end and
use the lid at the other end to push the paste out onto a sheet of plastic
wrap.  (This method can also be used remove other solid ingredients, such
as frozen juice and almond paste, out of cans.) Wrap the tomato paste in
plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. When the paste has frozen, you
can cut off only as much as you need for a particular recipe, then return
the frozen log to the freezer.

Heating a Pasta Bowl To easily heat a large serving bowl for pasta, place
a colander in the bowl, pour the pasta and water into the colander, and
let the hot water stand in the bowl for a few seconds to heat it. Then
pour out the water, add the pasta and sauce, toss, and serve.