Ragù Napoletano
A slow-simmered Neapolitan tomato and meat sauce, coating pasta for the first course before tender braised meats are served as the main.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total
- 260 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven
- •Wooden spoon
- •Large pasta pot
- •Tongs
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- fat
- 26 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 680 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based casserole over medium heat.
- 2
Brown the beef and pork ribs thoroughly on all sides for ten minutes, then lift onto a plate.
- 3
Add the sliced onions to the remaining oil and cook gently for fifteen minutes until soft and translucent.
- 4
Stir in the tomato purée and fry for two minutes to deepen the rich red colour.
- 5
Return the browned meat and any rested juices back into the casserole pot.
- 6
Pour in the red wine and simmer until the sharp alcohol smell evaporates completely.
- 7
Stir in the tomato passata, season with salt, and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- 8
Partially cover the pot and simmer over the lowest flame for four hours until the sauce darkens and thickens.
- 9
Transfer the tender braised meat onto a warm serving platter to serve as a second course.
- 10
Boil the broken ziti in salted water until al dente, then drain well.
- 11
Toss the hot pasta with half of the rich tomato ragù in the warm pot.
- 12
Serve the coated pasta immediately with a ladle of extra sauce, torn basil, and grated pecorino.
Chef's tips
Keep the flame extremely low so the sauce bubbles lazily with tiny bursts, known locally as the ragù whispering. Break long ziti pasta by hand over the pot to catch every pasta crumb.
Ingredient substitutions
- beef chuck steak → beef shin or brisket
- ziti pasta → rigatoni, paccheri, or pennoni
- pecorino romano → parmigiano reggiano for a milder, sweeter cheese flavour
Storage
Store the sauce and meat together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of water until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the ragù too rapidly, which dries out the meat cuts and scorches the bottom of the pan.
- •Using minced meat instead of large, whole cuts of beef and pork.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Ragù Napoletano?
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