NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: https://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1542285
20 Nebraskaland • December 2025 IN THE FIELD By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley GOOSE BOLOGNESE PASTA Bolognese is the meat sauce of all meat sauces. It's hearty and rich, made by slow-simmering ground meat with a bit of milk for creaminess. This recipe is about concentrating and building flavors — and being patient. If you can, make the sauce a day ahead. It will save you from scrambling on the day you plan to serve it, and the overnight resting will improve the flavor. Bolognese also freezes well. Serve this pasta with a dry red wine, such as Sangiovese or Barbera. Servings: 4-6 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes Ingredients: • 1 pound of ground goose or duck • 1 tbsp. olive oil • 2 ribs of celery, chopped • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped • 1 medium onion, chopped • 3 ounces of pancetta, finely chopped • 1 bay leaf • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • 1/3 cup of tomato paste • Pinch of nutmeg • Pinch of red pepper flakes* • 1 cup of dry white wine • 2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock • 1 cup of whole milk • 1 pound of pappardelle pasta • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper * If you have it, substitute red pepper flakes with 1 teaspoon of Trader Joe's Italian-style Soffritto Seasoning. 1. Pulse celery, carrot and onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside. 2. In a heavy-bottomed medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Break up ground goose into large chunks and add them to the hot oil. Allow this first side to form a nice crust before breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and cooking through. Season with a pinch of salt and then transfer meat to a plate and set aside. 3. Lower heat to medium and add finely chopped pancetta to render and crisp. Then add the finely chopped vegetables and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, and it starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, stirring often. Next, add bay leaf, minced garlic, tomato paste, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. 4. Return cooked goose to the pot. Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine and cook, stirring often, until the wine is nearly completely evaporated, meanwhile using a wooden spoon to break up the meat as finely as you can. Drink the rest of the white wine. 5. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of whole milk. Bring to a simmer and then cook on low, uncovered, for 2 hours and 30 minutes or longer, until the meat is completely tender. Stir occasionally. Add more stock or water as needed to prevent the bottom from scorching. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. It's best to cook only as much pasta as you'd eat at one sitting: Undercook pappardelle pasta in salted boiling water. In a pan, add sauce to taste and heat on low. Transfer undercooked pasta to the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water to loosen up the sauce to toss. The pasta will cook the rest of the way during this time. Season to taste. Serve immediately with lots of grated Parmesan cheese. A rich meat sauce made of ground Canada goose. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND