Bolognese Fondue

Ingredients

• 4 L beef broth
• 600 to 800 ml tomato sauce
• 500 ml (2 cups) full-bodied red wine
• 8 bouillon cubes (e.g., beef or Kub Or)
• 3 carrots, diced small
• 3 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) tomato paste
• 125 g (about 1 ½ cups) grated Parmesan
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
• 10 ml (2 tsp) sugar
• Salt, pepper and Cayenne, to taste

Homemade Pesto

• 200 ml olive oil
• 500 ml (2 cups) fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
• 3 garlic cloves
• 50 g (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan
• 30 g (3-4 tbsp) toasted pine nuts
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) sugar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Dipping Items

• Ground beef, formed into small meatballs
• Ground pork, formed into small meatballs
• Ground veal, formed into small meatballs
• Fresh tagliatelle
• Stuffed ravioli
• Dry pasta of your choice, pre-cooked
• Carrot ribbons, blanched
• Zucchini slices or zucchini spirals
• Celery stalks, blanched pieces
• Halloumi, in strips

Preparation

• In a large pot, sauté onion, carrots and celery in olive oil.
• Add garlic and tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour in red wine, let reduce by half.
• Add broth, tomato sauce, Parmesan and bouquet garni.
• Simmer 25-30 minutes until reduced to 3.5 liters and adjust seasoning with pepper, salt, Cayenne and sugar, to taste.
• Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove larger pieces and keep them for another use.
• For homemade pesto: blend all ingredients in a blender or with an immersion blender until you get a smooth but textured paste.
• Pour the hot broth into the Fondussimo fondue pot.

A Few Tips

• Replace the pesto with a Parmesan béchamel for children.
• To deepen the umami flavor of the broth, add 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce. Sacrilege or revelation? Your taste buds will whisper the answer.
• Add a few cherry tomatoes to the baskets for a fresh twist.
• Dare to try mixed meatballs (beef-pork-veal) for more flavor. If desired, season them with pepper, salt, chopped herbs, garlic and finely minced shallot. The ultimate indulgence: stuff them with a small piece of cheese.
• Dry pasta reheats perfectly in the baskets: pre-cook them al dente. You can also sear the meatballs to speed up their cooking in the broth.
• Have leftover broth after the meal? Combine it with the pre-cooked mirepoix and use it as a pasta sauce base.