Bolognese Ragù Recipe
A Taste of Italy, Straight from My Nonna's Kitchen
One of the most famous sauces in Italian cuisine and probably my favorite. The official version of Bolognese ragù involves specific ingredients, calibrated measurements, and a standardized cooking process. From this officially recognized process, as with any good traditional recipe, you can draw inspiration to create your perfect recipe. In my specific case, I refer to my Bolognese grandmother's recipe, who taught my mother how to make delicious ragù. Bolognese ragù is excellent if you have children. Prepare pasta with this sauce, and you'll have a complete meal rich in all the necessary nutrients. It's also true comfort food! If you, too, are a fan of meat sauces and prepare ragù on Saturdays for Sunday, whether it's for tagliatelle or lasagna, you can't miss all the steps of my grandmother's recipe.
Ingredients:
Tomato Puree: 10.5 ounces (300 g)
Ground Beef (coarsely ground beef mix): 10.5 ounces (300 g)
Carrots: 1.75 ounces (50 g)
Celery: 1.75 ounces (50 g)
Golden Onions: 1.75 ounces (50 g)
Bay Leaves: 2
Salt: to taste
Black Pepper: to taste
White Wine: 3.5 ounces (100 g)
Pancetta(Pork Belly not Bacon): 5.3 ounces (150 g)
Broth: as needed (I usually prepare 1 liter of broth)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons
Instructions:
How to Make Bolognese Ragù
1 To make Bolognese ragù, first prepare the broth.
2 Move on to the pancetta: slice it into strips, not too precisely. Then, finely chop it with a knife.
3 In a preheated heavy pot, add a drizzle of olive oil and the pork pancetta. Break it up and let it brown.
4 In the meantime, focus on the vegetables. Peel and finely chop the carrot. Clean the celery and chop it to a similar size.
5 Finally, peel and chop the onion.
6 As soon as the pancetta is well browned, add the chopped vegetables. Stir and let them sauté for 5-6 minutes.
7 Add one or two bay leaves (this part is not part of the traditional recipe; my Bologna-native grandmother used to do it).
8 Add the ground beef to the sauté. Mix and raise the heat. Let the meat brown slowly; it should sear well.
9 Deglaze with the white wine and mix again.
10 As soon as the alcohol evaporates, add the tomato puree. Stir to incorporate it.
11 Add a couple of ladles of hot vegetable broth. Cover with the lid, but not completely.
12 At this point, the ragù should cook for at least 2 hours. Check it every 20 minutes and add more broth as needed.
13 After 2 hours, taste the ragù, adjust the salt and pepper.
Stir, and your ragù is ready.
Broth:
It's better to use either beef broth or vegetable broth, and even bouillon is acceptable. I, for obvious time reasons, don't prepare the broth from scratch. I rely on beef bouillon, which, in my opinion, is the best I've found in the USA so far.
Storage:
You can prepare Bolognese ragù in advance and heat it when needed. You can store it in a Glass Container, well covered with plastic wrap, for a maximum of 2-3 days. If you've used all fresh ingredients, you can also freeze the ragù. Usually, to make life easier, I prepare large quantities of ragù, divide it into single servings in microwave-safe containers, and freeze it. This way, you always have a portion of ragù ready to heat quickly when you feel lazy.
Preventing the Ragù from Sticking to the Pot:
The Pot should be of "excellent quality and heavy." Non-stick, aluminum, or enameled cast iron pots are preferred.
Nutritional Information (per portion):
Calories: 405.48
Carbohydrates: 6.92 grams
Sugars: 5.1 grams
Proteins: 20.05 grams
Fats: 33.06 grams
Saturated Fats: 14.44 grams
Dietary Fiber: 87 grams
Cholesterol: 2.17 milligrams
Sodium: 450.0 milligrams
Enjoy your Bolognese ragù!
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