Ever since I began ranking Garten's pasta dishes back in May 2021, nothing has come close to topping her weeknight Bolognese. But after one bite of the penne alla vodka, I knew that would change.

It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients (or a lot of money) to make a standout ragù alla Bolognese. What it does take is patience. For the meat sauce to achieve its ideal texture, it must cook low ...