Authentic Italian Ragu alla Bolognese

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground chicken

Ground turkey is lower in fat, while ground chicken is often less expensive.

red wine

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic wine

💰Cheaper: beef broth

Non-alcoholic wine provides similar acidity, while beef broth is a cost-effective substitute.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy flavor with fewer calories, while pecorino is typically less expensive.

Make a soffritto by chopping 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 onion, and 4 ounces of pancetta in a food processor until small but not pureed.

Heat a burner and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan until melted.

Add the soffritto mix to the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.

Add 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of ground pork to the pan, ensuring they do not brown, just lightly pink.

Once the meat is a dull pink, add 1 cup of whole milk and simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes until most of the milk has evaporated.

Add 2 bay leaves and 2 pinches of nutmeg to the meat mixture, stirring to combine, and let simmer.

After the milk has evaporated, add 1 cup of dry white wine and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated.

Finally, add 1 can of whole tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the mixture and stir.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens