Description
Ragù alla Bolognese is a rich and hearty Italian pasta sauce made with minced beef and pork, vegetables, and a blend of aromatic ingredients, perfect for serving over tagliatelle.
Ingredients
Scale
- 250g beef, hand minced (chuck, brisket, short rib, shank all work)
- 250g pork, hand minced (shoulder is best)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2.5 tbs tomato paste (concentrated)
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup stock (chicken or beef) + more for topping up
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- a largish segment of lemon peel
- A little pinch of nutmeg
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife or a heavy cleaver to finely chop the meat into a coarse mince.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pot on high-heat, add enough EVOO to cover the bottom about 1/4 inch thick, then add beef and sauté for 6-7 minutes until browned on the outside. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon ensuring you leave rendered fat in the pot and set aside.
- Repeat the above step for the pork.
- Add onions, carrot, celery and sauté for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Add red wine, then the beef and pork back in, then tomato paste, stock, milk, cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, and lemon peel. Give everything a good stir and season with salt (about 1 tbs) and black pepper.
- Simmer on low heat for 3-6 hours – taste every half an hour; if it gets dry top up with either water or stock. It’s done when the meat is tender and no longer chewy; obviously the longer you cook the more tender/melt in your mouth it will get.
- To serve, cook tagliatelle egg pasta according to packet instructions and add as much ragù as you like along with a dash of reserved pasta water to make it a little saucy. Top with grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese and cracked black pepper. Enjoy with a glass of red wine!
Notes
- For best results, use high-quality meat and fresh ingredients.
- Cooking time can vary; longer cooking will yield a more tender sauce.
- Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: Ragù alla Bolognese, pasta sauce, Italian cuisine, tagliatelle