Nonna Consuelo's Authentic Italian Bolognese Sauce (From LIVE Wi

Nonna Consuelo (Kelly Ripa's Mother-In-Law) made an appearance on "Mom's Week" on LIVE with Kelly & Michael to show her authentic Italian Bolognese Sauce. I have made this many times, and I can't go back to any other recipe. This sauce freezes well; feel free to double or triple the recipe to make a big batch.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• 3  lbs ground beef
• 3 (28 ounce) cans  crushed tomatoes with  puree
• 1  large sweet onion
• 5  celery ribs
• 1  lb carrot
• 5  big garlic cloves
• 2⁄3 cup  virgin olive oil
• 2  beef bouillon cubes
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1  cup fresh basil or 3  tablespoons dried basil
• 1  tablespoon dried oregano
• 5  teaspoons sugar (or as needed depending on the acidity of the tomatoes)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (optional)

Directions

1. Brown, crumble and drain the meat. Set it aside.
2. Peel onion, carrots and celery. Cut them in small pieces and finely chop them in food processor to a puree consistency.
3. In a 10 quart non-stick pot pour the olive oil and cook the pureed vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, at medium heat.
4. Add the meat, the tomatoes, the bouillon cubes, the garlic, the pepper and the sugar to the cooked vegetables.
5. Cook at low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Finely chop the basil and crush the oregano. Add them to the cooking sauce.
7. Cook the sauce for an additional 1½ hours. Add the can of tomato paste to thicken sauce, if needed.
8. Remove the garlic, put it on a small dish and crush it into a puree consistency using a fork. Put it back in the sauce, stirring thoroughly.
9. Cook sauce for 5 more minutes.
10. **Note: Generally, the sauce is done when the garlic is soft.