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Chicken-Mushroom Bolognese

Traditional Bolognese sauce is made with ground veal or beef, but I don’t see any reason not to swap in chicken and mushrooms for the meat; I like them. And just because I sneak in a little bacon, too, doesn’t mean you have to, but I think you’d really enjoy it. You’ll need only a good hour and a half to make this singular pot of goodness, less than half the time it takes to make the original beefy version. If you are making Bolognese for the first course of an Italian meal (primi), you will get 10-12 small servings. My inspiration for this version is from Aida Mollenkamp (whose Bolognese I use for my lasagna) and, of course, from Marcella Hazan, the queen of Italian cooking.
6 generous servings (doubles easily)

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 4 thick slices of bacon cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1/4 pound)
  • 4- ounces button mushrooms, sliced
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into small dice
  • 2 EACH: medium unpeeled carrots and stalks of celery, cut into small dice
  • 1 bunch Italian parsley, minced
  • Crushed red pepper
  • 4 large, plump cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 ¼ pounds ground chicken
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup (3¼ oz) Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Instructions

  • COOK BACON AND MUSHROOMS: Drizzle a tablespoon of oil into the bottom of a warmed Dutch oven or large, heavy pot; let warm through over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook, stirring regularly, until well-browned. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined bowl. Spoon or pour out half of the bacon fat into a cup and save for another use or discard in trash once cool. Toss the mushrooms into the pot and cook, stirring once or twice, until well-browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon the mushrooms into the bowl with the bacon and set aside.
  • COOK THE VEGETABLES: Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and let warm through. Add the onion, carrots, celery, parsley, a ½ teaspoon EACH of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until softened (not browned), adding garlic for the last minute or so.
  • POUR IN THE RED WINE and cook for a few minutes until the wine is absorbed by the vegetables.
  • ADD THE GROUND CHICKEN to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cooking until no pink remains in the meat.
  • ADD THE TOMATOES and cook until bubbly. STIR IN THE TOMATO PASTE. Add another 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, and the teaspoon of granulated sugar.
  • POUR IN THE MILK and stir well. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring regularly, for about an hour until thickened. Stir the reserved mushrooms and bacon back into the sauce and warm through.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot with grated cheese over long, flat ribbon-like pasta such as pappardelle or tagliatelle. Store sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Notes

Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2022. All rights reserved.