Recipes › Sauce › Ragu Bolognese Recipe

Ragu Bolognese Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Ragu Bolognese is a slow-simmered meat sauce from Bologna that combines ground beef and pork with tomato, milk, and wine for a rich, deeply savory depth. This authentic version balances acidity and fat through extended cooking, creating the foundation for tagliatelle alla Bolognese or other pasta shapes. The result is a luxurious sauce that clings to pasta with silky richness rather than sitting on top.

Ingredients

• 200g ground beef
• 100g ground pork
• 75g pancetta, finely diced
• 1 small onion (80g), finely minced
• 1 small carrot (60g), finely minced
• 1 small celery stalk (40g), finely minced
• 30ml whole milk
• 100ml dry white wine
• 150g canned crushed tomatoes or tomato paste mixed with water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of nutmeg

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add diced pancetta and cook until fat renders, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the minced onion, carrot, and celery (soffritto) to the pot. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften and become translucent.

3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef and pork to the pot, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks for 4-5 minutes until no pink remains and meat is browned throughout.

4. Pour in the white wine and stir well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Allow the wine to reduce by half, approximately 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the crushed tomatoes or tomato paste mixture to the pot and stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients. Pour in the milk and add salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir until uniform.

6. Reduce heat to very low and partially cover the pot, leaving it slightly ajar. Simmer gently for 2.5-3 hours, stirring occasionally every 30 minutes to prevent sticking. The sauce should reduce gradually and darken.

7. During the final 30 minutes of cooking, leave the pot uncovered to allow excess liquid to evaporate. The finished sauce should be thick enough to cling to pasta without being dry.

Substitutions

• Replace pork with additional ground beef for a beef-only version, though pork adds traditional sweetness.
• Substitute pancetta with guanciale (cured pork jowl) for a more authentic Bolognese preparation with deeper pork flavor.
• Use whole milk yogurt instead of dairy milk for tanginess, added gradually in the final hour.
• Replace white wine with beef or vegetable broth if preferred, though wine adds important acidity and complexity.

Tips

• Use a meat grinder or food processor to grind your own pancetta, beef, and pork for superior texture compared to pre-ground options.
• Resist the urge to rush the cooking process; the long simmer develops complex flavor through the interaction of meat, tomato, milk, and wine—rapid cooking produces a thin, one-dimensional sauce.
• Make this sauce one day ahead and refrigerate overnight; the flavors marry and mature, and any fat rises to the surface for easy removal.

Authentic ragu Bolognese originates from Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy and is protected by strict traditional production guidelines established in Bologna. The inclusion of milk or cream, often overlooked in international versions, is essential to the original recipe—it balances acidity and creates the characteristic silky texture that defines genuine Bolognese.

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