How To Make Classic Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla bolognese)

Bolognese sauce is an Italian slow-cooked meat and tomato sauce that is very aromatic, very rich and a perfect comfort food for lunch or dinner.

Source:Home Cooking Adventure

For this recipe, you will need:

– 1 lb. (450g) ground beef

– 11 oz. (300g) ground pork (pancetta is preferred but optional)

– 1 3/4 cup (400g) pure tomato purèe

– 1/4 cup tomato paste

– 1 cup white wine

– 1/2 cup (about 40g) diced carrots

– 1/2 cup (about 40g) diced celery

– 1/2 cup (about 40g) diced onion

– Olive oil

– Salt

– Fresh black pepper

– Pamigiano-Reggiano cheese for grating

Making

Heat 3-4 tablespoons olive oil to medium/high heat in a pan. Add celery, carrot and onion. Saute for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are soft and tender.

Add the ground and browned pork, stirring constantly and breaking up the meat. When the pork is finely chopped, add the ground beef and brown. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1 cup white wine and let simmer, partially covered for 10-15 minutes (or until the alcohol smell is gone).

Now it’s time to add our tomatoes! We like the tomato password (purèe), but make sure what you use is 100% tomato, nothing extra. Stir together tomato and paste and bring to a boil. Salt again to taste.

At this point, the ragù will resemble a thick chili. While consistency is great when it comes to Bolognese, the sauce needs simmering for 2 to 2 and a half hours, so you’ll need to add a little water to further reduce the consistency. We recommend keeping a kettle of water on the stove to avoid adding cold water to the sauce. Add a little warm water to thin the sauce and stir well.

Cover partially and let the sauce simmer gently for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add a little warm water whenever it thickens to the chili-like texture mentioned above. Towards the end of the cooking time, stop adding water so the ragù can thicken for serving.

Ragù is best served with fresh egg pasta (no MSG please, trust us!) and we recommend making your own! It’s simpler than you might think and well worth the effort. Plus, it’s the perfect activity to keep you occupied while you anxiously await your simmering ragù. Check out our tagliatelle recipe here.

When the Bolognese is about to be ready, cook your pasta and drain. Add the pasta and a few spoonfuls of sauce to the pan (just enough to cover the noodles). Stir it all together over medium heat for a minute or two. Serve and top with a ladle of sauce and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.