Ragù alla Bolognese
A rich, slow-cooked meat sauce from Bologna made with minced beef, pork, soffritto, a splash of wine, milk, and a little tomato.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 150 min
- Total
- 170 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 38 g
- carbs
- 6 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 28 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the finely chopped pancetta.
- 2
Fry the pancetta gently until the fat renders and turns lightly golden.
- 3
Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery to form the soffritto (aromatic base).
- 4
Cook gently for ten minutes until the vegetables are soft, sweet, and translucent.
- 5
Add the minced beef and pork, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
- 6
Brown the meat thoroughly over medium-high heat until it sizzles and browns.
- 7
Pour in the white wine and stir until the alcohol evaporates completely.
- 8
Stir in the tomato paste, tomato passata, and half of the meat broth.
- 9
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for two hours.
- 10
Add the whole milk during the final thirty minutes and simmer until thick and mellow.
- 11
Season with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Chef's tips
Cook the sauce at a very gentle simmer with just occasional lazy bubbles breaking the surface. Adding the milk near the end softens the acidity of the tomatoes and gives the meat a velvety texture.
Ingredient substitutions
- pancetta → unsmoked streaky bacon, though pancetta offers a more traditional savoury profile
- white wine → dry red wine, which yields a deeper colour and slightly earthier flavour
Storage
Store the cooled ragù in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.
Reheating
Gently reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if needed to loosen it.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding too much tomato sauce, turning an authentic meat ragù into a tomato stew.
- •Serving the sauce with dried spaghetti rather than wide, porous fresh egg tagliatelle.
- •Rushing the cooking time instead of allowing the meat fibres to soften over hours.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Ragù alla Bolognese?
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