TRADITIONAL Ragu Bolognese | Authentic Italian Recipe

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground chicken

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground chicken is often less expensive.

red wine

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic red wine

💰Cheaper: grape juice

Non-alcoholic options maintain flavor without alcohol.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated Pecorino

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds umami.

canned tomatoes

🥗Healthier: fresh tomatoes

💰Cheaper: crushed tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes can be healthier, while crushed tomatoes are often cheaper.

Dice 140 g of pancetta into small pieces.

In a pan over medium heat, add the pancetta and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until the fat renders and it turns golden.

Dice 1 brown onion, 1 stick of celery, and 1 carrot into consistent sizes for the soffritto.

Add the diced vegetables (soffritto) to the pan with the pancetta and season lightly with salt; sauté for about 6 to 7 minutes without coloring the vegetables.

Increase heat to medium-high and add 750 g of ground beef and pork mix; spread it out and let it sit for a minute before breaking it up and cooking for 8 to 10 minutes until no longer pink.

Season the meat with salt and black pepper, then add 2/3 cup (180 mL) of dry red wine and reduce by 75% for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in 2 tbsp (40 g) of tomato paste (optional) and 1 bottle (700 mL) of tomato sauce; fill the empty sauce bottle halfway with cold water, shake, and add it to the pan.

Bring the sauce to a simmer, check seasoning, and adjust if necessary; reduce heat to low and cook for a minimum of 2 hours (up to 5 hours if desired).

Prepare garlic butter by microplaning 6 cloves of garlic and mixing with 125 g of room temperature unsalted butter, 1 tsp of dried parsley, and salt and black pepper to taste.

Cut a sourdough white loaf into a log style for garlic bread, spread the garlic butter generously, and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

About 20 to 25 minutes before the sauce is ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook talliatelle pasta for 1 minute less than package instructions and reserve some pasta water before draining.

Add 2/3 cup (180 mL) of full fat milk to the sauce, mix gently over low heat to avoid splitting, and cook for a few more minutes.

To serve, place a couple of ladles of sauce into a clean pan, add cooked pasta, and mix to coat; adjust consistency with reserved pasta water if needed.

Grate fresh Parmesan cheese and tear in fresh basil leaves, mixing well to combine; serve in bowls with additional Parmesan and cracked black pepper on top.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens