Bolognese ragù: the registered recipe or grandma’s recipe. I still remember Sunday mornings at my grandmother’s house and the scent of the ragù spreading through the house and her lasagna or baked pasta; as you know, grandma was from the North and hadn’t forgotten some preparations. But who among us doesn’t have memories tied to preparing this sauce that has always been part of Italian tradition, and at the mere hint of its aroma doesn’t immediately travel back in time to when we were children?
Of course, Italy is big: each region and every family has its own personal ragù recipe, perhaps inherited from a mother, grandmother, or aunt, but the basic ingredients are always the same: minced meat, a soffritto of carrots, celery and onion, and tomato purée.
In the recipe you’ll read today, I prepared the traditional Bolognese ragù and my preparation is inspired by the recipe registered at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in 1982, although I have slightly adapted it to family tastes, particularly in ingredient quantities. Want to know a curiosity? Very often we Sicilians add an original ingredient to the ragù: peas! Strange, right? Yet yes, many Sicilian families add these pretty green peas to the ragù to make a dish that immediately feels festive.
But now let’s go to the kitchen to discover the original Bolognese ragù recipe, because a good ragù always makes a family, and if it’s true that traditions are sometimes lost over time and perhaps people no longer have the time or desire to spend hours at the stove, at least once a year — whether at Christmas, Easter, or a random Sunday — treating yourself and loved ones in the kitchen will create many precious memories to keep in your heart.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Slow cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make Grandma’s Bolognese Ragù
- 1 lb 5 oz beef (lean beef (chuck, brisket, shoulder or round), coarsely ground)
- 5.3 oz pancetta (preferably flat pancetta)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
- 1 medium carrot (about 3.5 oz / 100 g)
- 2 stalks celery (about 3.5 oz / 100 g)
- 1 small onion (about 3.5 oz / 100 g)
- 1/2 cup red wine (about 5 fl oz / 150 ml)
- 3 cups tomato purée (about 700 ml, or peeled tomatoes)
- 1 glass milk
Tools
- Casserole or pot earthenware or cast iron
- Wooden spoon
- Stove
Steps to make Bolognese Ragù
Place the diced pancetta in the pan, and let its fat gently render over the lowest heat. Add the oil or butter and, while the pancetta is browning, cut the carrots, onion and celery into very small dice.
Add the vegetables to the pancetta and let them soften gently for about fifteen minutes, covering the pot with its lid.
When the vegetables are dry and golden, add the minced meat and let it brown and dry out, stirring often and breaking it up.
Deglaze with white wine, raise the heat and wait until all the alcohol has evaporated before proceeding to the next step.
Add the tomato purée — choose a high-quality one — rinse the container with a little water and pour the liquid into the pot.
Season with salt and cook over the lowest heat for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes.
During this period, everything should simmer and cook gently.
After the time has passed the ragù should be thick and reduced; pour in the milk — it will help mellow the acidity of the tomato, making the preparation more delicate — and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and use it to dress whatever you like.
Our Bolognese ragù is ready; you can prepare it in advance and reheat it when needed. You can store it in a glass container, well covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2–3 days, or portion and freeze it and thaw as needed in the fridge slowly, at room temperature, in the microwave, or in a pan over very low heat.
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