Ragù Bolognese 
(Italian tomato-meat sauce)

Bowl of pasta bolognese
Image by Wikipedia: Ivan Vighetto

Ragù bolognese is a good Sunday dinner dish. Its long simmering is perfect for a lazy day. Serve this rich meat sauce over tagliatelle, rigatoni or penne or as a lasagne filling. One thing the residents of Bologna never do is serve bolognese sauce over spaghetti.

Ragù Bolognese

Course: Pasta and NoodlesCuisine: Italy
Makes

4 to 6

servings

Ragù bolognese is a good Sunday dinner dish. Its long simmering is perfect for a lazy day. Serve this rich meat sauce over tagliatelle, rigatoni or penne or as a lasagne filling.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil — 2 tablespoons

  • Butter — 2 tablespoons

  • Onion, chopped — 1

  • Carrot, chopped — 2

  • Celery, chopped — 1 stalk

  • Ground beef — 1 pound

  • Salt and pepper — to season

  • Milk — 1 cup

  • Nutmeg — pinch

  • Tomatoes,  peeled, seeded and chopped — 2 cups

  • Dry white wine — 1 cup

Directions

  • In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium flame. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the ground beef and season with a little salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring to break up meat, until the beef is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Pour in the milk and nutmeg and simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is mostly reduced, 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and white wine and continue to simmer on very low heat for anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. The longer you simmer the better the flavor will become. Add a little water as necessary. Toss with pasta and serve.

Ragù Bolognese Notes and Variations

  • Use 1/3 pound ground pork and 2/3 pound ground beef for better flavor.
  • Two cups of canned tomatoes or 1/4 cup tomato paste may be substituted for the fresh, chopped tomatoes.

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