Calder’s Bolognese Sauce

October 31, 2025

This recipe comes from our kitchen manager, Calder, who’s been part of the DeLaurenti squad for eight years. Calder started out in the deli selling cheese & charcuterie and eventually wound up managing our kitchen.

There are as many Bolognese recipes as there are people who make them, but this one’s different enough to try. It’s a surf-and-turf version, with anchovies lending a savory backbone and fennel standing in for the usual celery. You can make it with lamb, beef, or a combination — choose your own adventure. Not every ingredient here is sold inside the walls at DeLaurenti, but all of them are within fifty feet of our front door.

Ingredients

¾ lb. ground lamb

¾ lb. ground beef (not lean, preferably 80/20)

½ lb. Italian sausage (Calabrian if available), removed from casing

5–6 anchovies, packed in oil

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup fennel bulb, medium dice

1 cup shallots, medium dice

1 cup carrots, medium dice

2–3 garlic cloves, minced

14 oz canned San Marzano tomatoes, or 5–6 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup red wine

1 cup heavy cream

A few Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds, in cheesecloth (optional)

A few sprigs of fresh thyme and oregano, tied with twine

2 tsp nutmeg

Salt

DeLaurenti Fresh Egg Pappardelle

Directions
On medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan until bubbling. Add anchovies and stir until they begin to break apart.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add beef, lamb, and sausage with a generous pinch of salt. Cook until browned, about 15 minutes.

Add diced fennel, shallots, and carrots (and raw tomatoes, if using). Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

When the mixture starts to stick to the pan, add red wine and scrape up the browned bits.

Add canned tomatoes (if using) and the sachet of Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds and herbs.

Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 3 hours. Remove sachet and herbs.

Stir in nutmeg and heavy cream. Season with additional salt to taste.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the fresh pasta. Cook until just al dente and combine with sauce.

Notes: Anchovies can be omitted or replaced with about 1 Tbsp fish sauce, just add it at the end. Substitute celery for fennel if you prefer. If lamb isn’t your thing, use 3 lbs of beef or any other ground meat.

Recommended Italian Sausages:

Riccio’s Calabrian or Cascioppo’s