Recipe courtesy of Alex Goren

Ragu Alla Bolognese

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Total: 7 hr 35 min
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Cook: 7 hr 15 min
Advertisement

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1/2 pound pancetta, minced

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork butt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

8 cups homemade or low-sodium beef broth, recipe follows

3/8 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons butter

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Cooked tagliatelle or pappardelle

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, as needed

Broth for Ragu alla Bolognese:

1 large beef joint bone

1 pound beef shank

1 pound beef short ribs

1 pound beef brisket

2 medium onions, halved

2 medium carrots, each cut into 8 pieces

2 stalks celery, each cut into 4 pieces

2 pinches salt

Directions

  1. In a large, deep saute pan, heat olive oil over high heat and add carrots, celery, onions, and pancetta and cook, stirring, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the beef and cook another 2 minutes. Add pork and cook until meat is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  2. Whisk together the tomato paste and 1 cup of the broth, and add it to meat. Place pan over low heat so that sauce just barely simmers. When broth has evaporated, add another cup. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding a cup of broth when stew becomes dry, until all the broth has been added, about 3 hours.
  3. Add milk and butter, and continue to simmer very gently until milk has reduced and sauce is very thick, about 2 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve over tagliatelle or pappardelle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Broth for Ragu alla Bolognese:

  1. Put all the ingredients in a pot and cover with water. Cook on low; it should boil after about 1 hour. Lower the heat to a low boil. Cook 3 more hours after it has started to boil. Pour the broth through a sieve and refrigerate. The next morning, take off all the fat. You should be left with about 2 quarts of broth. The meat can be served as a bollito with salsa verde.
  2. Yield: 8 servings

Let's Get Cooking!

Sign up for the Recipe of the Day newsletter to receive editor-picked recipes,tips and videos delivered to your inbox daily. Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing to the Recipe of the Day newsletter. Check out all our other great newsletters from Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas and Chef Recipe Videos.

We're sorry, there was an error signing you up. Please try again later.

Advertisement

Leigh E.

This is the best best BEST bolognese recipe ever. Bolognese is my fav and I’ve made many recipes but after finding this one I’ll never try another. My husband is Italian (speaks Italian, lived In Sicily, traveled and eaten all over Italy) and he was shocked by how good this is. And I’m a great cook so he’s used to eating well. Well worth the effort and time. We buy half a cow a year and I always get extra briskets from the butcher for this sauce. And I’m from Virginia and love love bbq so using a brisket for bolognese is almost sacrilegious for me. But I’m a convert now! Thank you Alex for sharing this recipe. I make every fall and freeze portions for all winter and it’s like a hug in a bowl.

See All Reviews