RAGÙ ALLA BOLOGNESE
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Today we’re making a true Italian classic…
Ragù!
There are many different types of ragù depending on what Italian region you’re in,
but today we’re preparing the most traditional and well-known version, Ragù alla Bolognese.
Do you know what ragù means to us Italians?
It’s the smell that would wake you up on a Sunday morning,
when you’d sleep in and skip breakfast…going straight to lunch!
But do you know the real secret to a good ragù?
It has to simmer on low heat for at least 2 to 3 hours.
This recipe can also be used as the base for many other dishes!
Let’s check out the ingredients:
INGREDIENTS:
1 yellow onion
1 large carrot
1 stalk of celery
1 lb ground beef (or 1 lb of Beyond Meat for a vegan version)
1 cup of dry red wine
1 sprig of rosemary
4 cups (about 1 quart) of plain tomato purée (important: no pre-seasoned sauces — look for the kind in a glass bottle like Flora, or in a box like POMÍ)
Olive oil, to taste
Salt, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery.
In a large pot over medium heat, pour in about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, heat it up, and add the chopped vegetables along with the rosemary sprig. Sauté until the vegetables are soft. This is what is known as soffritto, a cornerstone of Italian cuisine and the starting point for countless other recipes.
At this point we add the ground beef.
Use a wooden spoon to break it up and stir frequently so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick.
Sauté the meat for one or two minutes.
Raise the heat and deglaze with red wine.
Let the wine completely evaporate.
Remove the rosemary sprig, lower the heat, and pour in the tomato purée.
Then, fill the tomato bottle halfway with water, shake it, and pour it into the pot as well.
Let it cook for about an hour, then add salt to taste.
Stir every now and then, and let it simmer for about 2 more hours.
And that’s it — super simple!
Now, just boil some water, add salt when it boils, and cook your favorite pasta.
Make sure to cook it al dente!
Buon appetito! 🇮🇹🍝
