Bolognese Sauce

This famous ragù is named for the Italian town of Bologna where it originated, and where several years ago I had the best version I’ve ever tasted. It was served at a charming trattoria called Pappagallo, and to this day I can still remember the taste, texture, and even smell of that sauce. I have recreated the recipe here in all its rich and delicious glory. Serve with pappardelle pasta.

Makes 5 quarts

• 1/2 pound pancetta, chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 7 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 8 ounces ground veal
• 8 ounces lean ground beef
• 3 6-ounce cans tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 3 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, pureed in food processor
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 large sprig fresh thyme
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons butter

Cook the pancetta in a heavy 8-quart pot over medium heat until the fat is completely rendered, about 6 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the liquid evaporates and the vegetables are almost brown, about 25 minutes. Add the pork, veal, and beef cook until the meat and vegetables are brown, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot so the meat breaks apart and the mixture does not stick to the pot, about 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste is dark maroon, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the mixture loosens up, about 2 minutes. Stir in the pureed tomatoes, 2 cups of chicken broth, and 3 cups of water. Add the kosher salt, seasoned salt, dried thyme, black pepper, lemon pepper, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Cook until the sauce comes to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of water and simmer until the sauce thickens into a ragu, stirring often, about 1 1/2 hours longer.

Stir in the cheese, milk, and butter. Simmer until the sauce is thick, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme stems from the sauce and serve.

Do-Ahead Tip: The sauce can be made ahead. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally, then transfer to five 1-quart containers. Place the containers in a roasting pan and surround with ice. Cover and store in the freezer for 2 months or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To rewarm, transfer ragù to a saucepan over medium-low heat, cover and stir occasionally until it simmers. Add chicken broth if the sauce is too thick.

Zov’s Kitchen Notes: For a richer taste, use cream instead of milk.

Bolognese is a bit time consuming and has a long list of ingredients, but the good news is if you plan it right, you can have this delicious sauce at the ready whenever you need it. I usually make a big batch, portion out whatever I need for dinner (it’s even better the next day), and freeze the rest.

Pappardelle is flat, wide pasta that holds up well with heavy meat sauces, and is perfectly suited to Bolognese. You can use penne or the medium size spaghetti as well. I also like using this sauce for lasagna, eggplant Parmesan, or any layered pasta dish.


Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

Not your typical pound cake, the secret to this extra moist and delicate version is instant lemon pudding. I love it with my morning coffee or whenever I’m in the mood for a treat. For dessert, it’s delicious served with vanilla ice cream, Blueberry Compote or warm dollops of whipped cream.

Serves 10 to 12

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3.4-ounce package instant lemon pudding
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (do not use kosher salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 grated tablespoons finely lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Glaze

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest or 1 lemon

Assorted fresh berries
Whipped cream

MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 10-inch tube pan, then dust the pan with flour and tap out any excess flour.

Sift the flour, instant pudding, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, cream cheese and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon extract. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beating until smooth after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a wooden skewer insert near the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack and remove the pan. Turn the cake so that the domed risen side is facing upward. Using a wooden skewer, poke holes all over the cake. Set the cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.

GLAZE THE CAKE: Mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a simmer, about 3 minutes. While the cake is still warm, brush the syrup over the cake with a pastry brush, covering the entire cake and allowing the syrup to completely penetrated the cake.

Do-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Cut the cake into wedges and serve with fresh berries and dollops of whipped cream.

Zov’s Kitchen Note: If you serve the cake with vanilla ice cream with Blueberry Compote a sprig of mint makes a lovely and delicious garnish. If you love orange flavor, just add ½ cup orange juice with orange zest.


OLIVE TAPENADE

Black olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil come together in this versatile spread that hails from France’s Provence region. How do you improve on a classic? Mix in my Preserved Lemons for wonderful, bright-tasting complexity. If you don’t have time to make preserved lemons, just increase the lemon peel and juice slightly. Avoid store-bought preserved lemons, as they often have a preservative-laden flavor. This simple tapenade is the foundation for many stunning dishes. Spread creamy burrata cheese on slices of toasted baguette and serve the tapenade alongside. Use it as a tangy dip for assorted raw vegetables like carrots, celery, mushrooms or cucumber. Or spread a thin layer on sandwich bread and top with a thick slice of tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Tapenade also brightens up grilled fish or chicken.

Makes 2 cups

• 2 ripe tomatoes (about 8 ounces), halved and seeded
• 1 1/2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil; about 1 cup)
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 3 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed, divided
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped Preserved Lemons (page xx; optional)
• 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon dried crushed hot red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Grate the flesh side of the tomato halves into the food processor bowl; discard the tomato skins. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and pulse once to combine. Let stand 15 minutes to allow the sun-dried tomatoes to soften slightly in the tomato juices. Add the olives, 2 tablespoons of the capers, and the next 11 ingredients. Pulse until a very chunky puree forms. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube, blending just until a coarse puree forms. Transfer the tapenade to a bowl. Garnish the tapenade with the remaining 1 tablespoon of capers.

Do-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate the tapenade in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Zov’s Kitchen Note: Any cured black olive can stand in for kalamata. The consistency of the tapenade should be slightly chunky, but not too thick. Burrata cheese is a luscious triple-cream mozzarella from Italy. If you can’t find burrata, use fresh mozzarella. Instead of baguette slices, use lavash crackers, toasted pita or plain French bread.