The Moral Lasagna of Panozzo’s Italian Market; or, There’s a Right Way to do things (with Lasagna Porn)

You encounter this word on restaurant menus all the time – Bolognese. What you seldom encounter afterward is, in fact, Bolognese or even an arguable facsimile. Bolognese is simple – ground meat (traditionally just beef or veal, PZ’s uses a local farm raised pork and beef mix), onions, carrots, celery, butter, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg – two cooking stages – one with dry white wine, one with milk and Time – at least 5 hours. That’s it. When you read Mother Marcella’s recipe she almost seems distressed there aren’t even fewer ingredients (perhaps imagining an austerely Perfect ragu that would have no ingredients at all…now that’s Peasant Food).

But there are no rules and Authenticity is Overrated so, here at Panozzo’s, we cheat on that tradition with abandon. We add ground salumi. We up the ante on the milk by replacing it with Heavy Cream and Prosciutto Broth. We cook it all day and create a sublime Ragu I would put up against Any (ANY). When I tasted Chef John’s Bolognese for the first time I said what any self-respecting Italian would say. “John…that’s the second best Bolognese I ever tasted’. Available in Moral Lasagna form or, separately, as Ragu (it ain’t Sauce) daily.