This very traditional Ragu’ Alla Bolognese or Bolognese meat sauce recipe can be used simply on pasta or as a base for lasagna. Best prepared the day before use to allow the flavors to fully develop, this sauce is the secret ingredient to next week’s recipe for Lasagna Bolognese. Follow these steps to an amazing sauce every time.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook time: Approximately 3 Hours
- Servings: 4
- Recipe is enough for 500 grams of fresh pasta or 400 grams of dried pasta
Ingredients:
- Red wine (dry) – 1 cup
- Tomato Paste – 2 tbsp
- Chicken Stock – 2 cups
- Whipping cream or Whole Milk – 1/2 cup
- Olive Oil – 1/4 cup
- Butter – 4 tbsp
- Onion – Finely chopped 9 ounces
- Celery – Finely chopped 9 ounces
- Carrot – finely chopped 9 ounces
- Garlic finely sliced – 5 cloves
- Veal – minced 18 ounces
- Pork – minced 18 ounces
- Beef Skirt Steak – minced 8 ounces
- Pancetta – sliced finely 5 ounces (ideally guanciale if possible)
Instructions:
- Combine the beef, pork & veal mince in a bowl, mixing together with olive oil. Leave out of refrigerator to bring to room temperature.
- Using a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, cook pancetta until crispy, then remove from pan.
- Add butter and olive oil to the remaining pancetta oil in the pan. On medium heat sautee the onion, celery and carrots until onion is transparent.
- Add garlic to the vegetables and stir briefly, adding the mince mixture after about a minute. Stir frequently over medium heat for about 15 minutes until completely browned. This could take up to 20 or 25 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste to the browned meat and stir it into the meat until it absorbs.
- Add the pancetta to the pan.
- Add the milk and lower the heat to a simmer until reduced.
- Add the wine and stir until evaporated.
- Add the chicken stock, raising the heat to bring it to a boil and then reducing the heat to low.
- Cover the pan and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.
- Partially uncover the lid and simmer for an additional 90 minutes, again stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce should be at a consistent low boil. If it looks dry, add enough chicken stock to have bubbling liquid visible.
- The end result will have spots of oil bubbling on top of the meat, if not more chicken stock is needed.
- Add salt to taste. Buon Appetito!
Delicious with pappardelle pasta 🍝💯🇮🇹💚🤍❤️