Name: Ragu alla Bolognese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250g beef mince; 250g pork mince; 1 onion (finely diced); 2 stalks celery (finely diced); 2 carrots (finely diced); 150ml dry white wine; 400g San Marzano passata; 50ml whole milk; Extra virgin olive oil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipes

Ragu alla Bolognese

By littlelane

The definitive slow-cooked Italian meat sauce from Bologna a soffritto base, minced pork and beef, a splash of milk, dry white wine, and just enough San Marzano tomato. Unlike heavily tomato-based versions you may know, real bolognese is meat-forward with tomato as a supporting player. Cook it low and slow for at least two hours. Worth every minute.

LL

Written by

littlelane

Ingredients list:

1 medium onion
2 small carrots
2 stalks of celery
3 cloves of garlic
150g pancetta
300g minced pork/beef/mixture
1 glass of red/white wine
200ml of chicken stock + more if required
150ml whole milk
2x cans of 400g San Marzano Tomatoes
Olive oil
Parmigiano Reggiano
Pasta of choice

Directions:

Difficulty: Easy
Feeds: 5 people
Cooking time: 2.5 hours

Prep the Soffritto: Roughly dice the carrot, onion, and celery into equal-sized pieces. Dice the pancetta into thick slices.
Golden Pancetta: In a deep pot, add olive oil and pancetta- cook until golden brown. This will add a rich, savory base to the sauce.
Soffritto: Once the pancetta is golden, add in carrots, onions, celery and grated garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
Brown the Meat: Add the minced meat to the pot, breaking it up as it cooks. Aim for a slightly crispy texture for added depth of flavor.
Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the red wine and let it cook off for about 5 minutes, scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add Stock: Stir in the chicken stock to deglaze further. If sauce evaporates too quickly, add in more stock to prevent the sauce from burning.
Simmer with San Marzano Tomatoes: Add the San Marzano canned tomatoes, lightly crush with a spatula. Add in milk, let the sauce gently simmer for 2 hours until thick and concentrated.
Cook the Pasta: Boil your pasta until al dente, reserving some pasta water to help emulsify the sauce.
Finish with Parmigiano Reggiano: Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, adding a splash of pasta water to bring everything together. Serve hot and enjoy!