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Beef Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Servings: 6

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 

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Toss with drained pasta, adding an additional tablespoon of butter and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.