Name: Black Bean Bolognese
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 1½" piece ginger, peeled, very finely chopped; 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes; ¾ cup dry white wine or sake; 1 lb. ground beef chuck (20% fat); ⅓ cup black bean garlic sauce (such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee); 2 tsp. light or dark brown sugar; Freshly ground pepper; 12 oz. pappardelle, bucatini, or rigatoni; Kosher salt; 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces; Thinly sliced scallions (for serving)

Four servings of pasta topped with black bean bolognese and scallions in clear plates and set against a dark rustic...

Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, and Prop Styling by Christina Allen

Fermented black soybeans are a staple ingredient in Chinese and other Asian cuisines, and they have phenomenal depth of flavor and umami. While you can purchase loose fermented and salted beans, they are most convenient when purchased in sauce form, having been combined with other ingredients like soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Kikkoman and Lee Kum Kee brands both have fermented black bean sauces (labeled “Black Bean Garlic Sauce”) that are excellent and convenient additions to soups, stir-fries, noodles, and any place you are looking for a boost of intense earthy funk.

Recipe notes

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