Beef Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)

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Beef Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)

Servings 6
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 
  • 4 tablespoons of butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta 
  • 2/3 cup of chopped onion 
  • 2/3 cup of chopped celery 
  • 2/3 cup of chopped carrots 
  • 1 pound of beef (or 1-part pork to 2 parts beef) 
  • Kosher salt 
  • Freshly milled black pepper 
  • 1 cup of milk or 1 cup of half and half (if you would like it richer) 
  • 1 – 28 ounce can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed and cut up with juice, or if you prefer a less “saucy” Bolognese you can just use 1 – 6 ounce can of tomato paste instead of the whole tomatoes. 
  • 1/4 cup of flat-leaf Italian parsley 
  • 1 1/2 pounds of pasta, preferably tagliatelle 
  • 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg 
  • 1 cup of dry white wine 
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving 

Instructions

  • Put the oil, butter, and onion in a saucepan on a medium flame. Cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the celery and carrots. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well.
  • Add the meat and simultaneously a large pinch of Kosher salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork and stir until it is browned and no red parts remain.
  • Add milk or half and half and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently until it has bubbled away, about 1 hour. Add nutmeg and stir.
  • Add wine and let it simmer until evaporated, about 1 hour more. Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. When the tomatoes bubble, lower the heat so the sauce simmers on the lowest possible flame. Cook uncovered for 3+ hours, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is cooking, it may begin to dry out and the fat separates from the actual meat so add a 1/2 cup of water when necessary, but in the end no water should be left when you serve it. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Toss with drained pasta, adding an additional tablespoon of butter and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.
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