Mastering Ragu: Sauce or Gravy? | Homemade Ragu Recipe | How to make Ragu | Pasta Sauce | Gravy

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

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

red wine

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic wine

💰Cheaper: beef broth

Non-alcoholic wine provides similar flavor without alcohol, while beef broth is cost-effective.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free while pecorino is often less expensive than parmesan.

Prepare the vegetables by chopping one onion, one carrot, and one celery stalk.

Heat a large non-reactive pan over medium to high heat and add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of olive oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the chopped vegetables and cook until they are translucent and tender.

Add 0.5 pound (250 grams) of ground pork and 0.5 pound (250 grams) of ground beef to the pan, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.

Cook the meat until it is mostly cooked through, leaving a touch of red.

Pour in 1 cup (250 ml) of red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom.

Once the wine has cooked off and the bottom of the pan is clean, add 1 pound (28 ounces) of pureed San Marzano tomatoes to the mixture.

Mix the tomatoes into the meat and vegetable mixture over medium heat.

Add 0.5 cup (125 ml) of veal stock to the mixture and stir well.

If the mixture is too thick, add another 0.5 cup (125 ml) of veal stock to achieve a desired consistency.

Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium to low, allowing the ragu to simmer for 1 hour, checking every 20 to 30 minutes for liquid levels.

After 1 hour, check the consistency of the ragu; it should be thick but not dry, with tender meat and vegetables.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens