The Official Ragu alla Bolognese | Authentic recipe from Bologna

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.

Render the pancetta in a heavy saucepan (Dutch oven) over medium heat.

Add the finely minced celery, carrot, and onion (sofrito) to the pancetta and mix, cooking until softened.

Once softened, add the coarsely ground beef and continuously mix and break it up to avoid big chunks.

Cook the meat until there are no raw bits, then add the wine and cook for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol.

Add the tomato paste and tomato passata, then fill with chicken stock, reserving some for later.

Cover and let it cook over low heat, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes to prevent sticking and adding more stock if it gets dry.

After one hour of cooking, add the milk to tenderize the meat, with about an hour left of cooking time.

After two hours of cooking, season with salt.

Cook the fresh egg pasta (or dried pasta) according to package instructions.

If using dried pasta, add a little cream to the ragu at the end of cooking to replace the richness of the eggs in fresh pasta.

Once the pasta is cooked, take some cooking water to loosen the ragu, strain the pasta, and add it to the pot with the sauce.

Toss everything to incorporate and finish cooking the pasta with the sauce, then turn off the heat and let it rest for about 30 seconds.

Add freshly grated parmesan cheese, toss to combine, and plate.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens