Rich, velvety, and full of comforting depth, creamy White Bolognese with Tagliatelle is the kind of pasta dish that feels both rustic and luxurious.
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I love recreating recipes from local restaurants. Recipes that have blown me away and that I want to share with you. My latest comes from one of the most popular Italian Restaurants in Denver, Barolo Grill, who specializes in Northern Italian Cuisine. This creamy version of Tagliatelle Bolognese is a nice alternative to the traditional red sauced Bolognese.
A recipe from their Executive Chef, let’s take a look.
What Is White Bolognese Sauce?
In Culinary School, we made the traditional red-sauced bolognese many times. That’s when I fell head over heels in love with this traditional Italian dish. I simply couldn’t resist trying this White Bolognese with Tagliatelle pasta, and it does not disappoint.
White Bolognese (also called White Ragu or Ragu Bianco) is a variation of traditional Italian Bolognese sauce that skips the tomatoes and focuses on meats, spices and dairy to build flavor.
- No Tomatoes: Unlike classic Bolognese, which has a tomato base, white Bolognese uses stock, cream and milk instead.
- Meat Forward: Commonly made with ground veal, pork or beef, this recipe calls for a mix of all three.
- Aromatics: Onion, celery and leeks (sofrito) are gently cooked in sauteed to create the flavor base.
Why Tagliatelle Is The Best Pasta For White Bolognese?
- Tagliatelle originates from Emilia-Romagna, the same region that gave us bolognese sauces. It’s a classic and natural partner for bolognese and ragu’s.
- Tagliatelle has a wide flat shape which clings beautifully to creamy slow-simmered sauces.
- This ribbon style pasta has a rustic feel, making it perfect for a rustic style sauce.
Texture and Flavor – White Bolognese Sauce
The end result is a rich, savory pasta dish without being heavy. A subtler and more delicate dish than tomato based versions. Often paired with pappardelle, rigatoni or spaghetti, Barolo Grill has made their White Bolognese with Tagliatelle Pasta.
Tagliatelle Bolognese is a dish that elevates a weeknight dinner yet feels worthy of a special occasion. A lighter, more elegant take on the classic Italian favorite.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Best meat for White Bolognese: Ground Beef, Ground Pork and Ground Veal.
- Leeks, Celery and Onion make up the “sofrito” to season the meat.
- Chicken Broth, Milk and Cream are used to make the white bolognese sauce.
- Parmesan Rind: Parmesan rinds are used in Italian cooking primarily to add depth, and richness of flavor soups, stews, and sauces. While the rind is too tough to eat directly, it’s loaded with flavor and slowly releases it when simmered in liquid. You’ll remove it when the sauce is cooked.
- Tagliatelle Pasta: Tagliatelle is a traditional Italian egg pasta. It’s golden color and long flat ribbons make this an excellent choice for White Bolognese.
Substitutions
- Ground Veal: Ground veal may be hard to find, and you may have to ask you butcher to special order it. If you simply can’t find it, ground chicken ( a mix of both thighs and breasts) is a good substitution. Please note, I’ve made this recipe several times and at one point added ground lamb in place of the veal. I felt it’s strong gamey flavor ruined the dish.
- Wine: Please feel free to substitute white wine for the chicken broth.
- Pasta: I’d substitute pappardelle or fettuccine noodles for the tagliatelle.
How To Make White Bolognese – Step by Step
- Step 1: Prepare the Meat: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery and leeks. Saute until vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, veal and pork and cook until no longer pink. Deglaze the pan by adding stock, gently scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up the browned bits. Simmer for two minutes.
- Step 2: Make The White Bolognese Sauce. Add milk, cream, parmesan rinds and bring to a simmer.
- Step 3: Cook uncovered stirring occasionally until sauce reduces and thickens. About 1 – ½ hours. Remove cheese rinds.
- Step 4: Cooking Tagliatelle For Bolognese: Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente (an extra firm bite). Drain pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Add some of the pasta water to the sauce and toss together the pasta with the bolognese sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped sage, rosemary and shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Pro Tip: Why is pasta water good for pasta sauce? Don’t throw all of that pasta cooking liquid down the drain, It's liquid gold. It's a must to add to any sauce for any pasta dish. It's high in starch and this salty starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta while helping to thicken the sauce. It turns any pasta dish into a luxurious pasta dish.
Variations
I hate to mess with a recipe that’s been created by such a highly accredited chef and restaurant, but here are some ideas to switch things up.
- Mushrooms are always a good choice for Tagliatelle Bolognese. Simply add them during step one while preparing the meat.
- Pancetta: Add about four ounces of pancetta to the meat line-up. It’s routinely added to White Bolognese. Just chop it and cook it along with the other meats.
- Lighten things up: I personally think this is not a time to count fat calories, but you can omit the cream and use all milk. You can rely on the long simmer time and the Parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce.
Tips for Success:
- Mise en Place: As with any recipe that features a lot of ingredients, gather, measure and organize everything before starting the cooking process. A well organized kitchen inspires a well organized mind.
- Don’t Overcook the pasta. Follow directions of a-la-dente. The pasta will continue to cook a bit when it meets the sauce. A mushy pasta will simply ruin the dish.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the sauce up to two days in advance. Just refrigerate until ready to serve. Gently reheat stovetop, then cook pasta and continue with recipe. A harsh boil when reheating the sauce may cause the sauce to separate. Use low heat.
- Storage: Let the pasta cool, then store any leftovers (pasta and sauce combined) in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: I like to use a microwave to reheat pasta dishes. The 50% power feature is your best friend. Gently reheat individual servings in 30 second increments until warm and creamy.
- Freezing: You can freeze Tagliatelle Bolognese in a freezer friendly container. Use freezer zip-lock style bags. Squeeze the air out, then lay flat to optimize freezer space. Freeze for up to three months. Please Note: I’m not a fan of freezing cream based pasta dishes. Once thawed and reheated, the texture of the cream sauce and the pasta just isn’t up to par. A splash of milk will sometimes revitalize the thawed and heated pasta.
Serving Suggestions:
- Wine Pairing: A full bodied white like a Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. A buttery Chardonnay will soften the rich sauce. And a dry crisp Pinot Gris will compliment the richness.
- Side Dishes: This is a very hearty meal that will benefit from a crisp mixed green salad. Try serving that tossed salad with this easy Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing = perfect. A loaf of crusty bread is always welcome with any Italian main course.
FAQ
We most often think of tomato based sauces when it comes to Italian Food. We learned in Culinary School that White Bolognese (ragu in bianco), is an authentic tomato-free Italian Meat Sauce from Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy.
The magic of adding starchy reserved pasta cooking water will most certainly help the sauce stick to the pasta. Also vigorously tossing the sauce and the pasta together will blend the two.
Making White Bolognese sauce a day in advance will allow the flavors to marry and intensify. Plus, if you’re making this for entertaining, all of the hard work and clean-up is done! All that’s left is to do is cook the pasta and pour the wine.
More Main Course Meaty Pasta Dinners
And if you’re looking for more pasta recipes for dinner, don’t miss my Pasta Category. You’ll find lots of great ideas, including the most popular on my site for Cowboy Spaghetti. An easy weeknight dinner with ground beef, spaghetti and plenty of cheese.
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White Bolognese with Tagliatelle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Sweet or Yellow Onion Fine diced
- ½ Cup Celery Fine diced
- ½ Cup Leeks Fine Diced
- ½ pound Lean Ground Beef
- ½ pound Ground Pork
- ½ pound Ground Veal Or Ground Chicken, a mix of thighs and breast meat
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
- ½ Cup Chicken Stock Or Veal Stock or white wine
- 1 ½ Cups Whole Milk
- 1 ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- Pieces of Parmesan Rind
- 1 Pound Tagliatelle Pasta
- Minced sage, rosemary and shaved Parmesan Cheese For Garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery and leeks. Saute until vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, veal and pork and cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper then deglaze the pan by adding stock, gently scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up the browned bits. Simmer for two minutes.
- Add milk, cream, parmesan rinds and bring to a low simmer. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally until sauce reduces and thickens. About 1 – ½ hours. Remove cheese rinds.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente (an extra firm bite). Drain pasta and toss together with the white bolognese sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped sage, rosemary and shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Mise en Place: As with any recipe that features a lot of ingredients, gather, measure and organize everything before starting the cooking process. A well organized kitchen inspires a well organized mind.
- Don’t Overcook the pasta. Follow directions of a-la-dente. The pasta will continue to cook a bit when it meets the sauce. A mushy pasta will simply ruin the dish.
Nutrition
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
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