Ragù alla bolognese
The official recipe for ragù isn’t simple, but it’s worth trying it for a taste of the end result: a rich and mouth-watering meat sauce. The sauce is traditionally served with tagliatelle, but you can also use it to make lasagne.
• 300g beef mince
• 300g passata
• 150g pancetta, diced then or minced with a mezzaluna
• 50g carrot, finely chopped
• 50g celery, finely chopped
• 50g onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup full cream milk
• 3 tbsp olive oil or 50g butter
• Stock
• Salt
• Pepper
• ½ cup fresh cream (optional)
1. Cook the pancetta in a large terracotta pan.
2. Add the olive oil/butter, carrot, celery and onion. Sauté over a low heat.
3. Add the beef mince and stir well. Cook until the mince is browned and begins to sizzle.
4. Add the wine and stir gently until evaporated.
5. Add the passata and stir, then cover and simmer for around 2 hours. Add a few tablespoons of stock occasionally if needed.
6. When the sauce is almost done cooking, add the milk and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Remove from heat and add to cooked pasta. (If using dry pasta, add the cream to the sauce. If using fresh tagliatelle, cream is not needed.)