This is the real Italian ragù alla Bolognese: a slow-cooked meat sauce, not a tomato sauce, and traditionally served with tagliatelle—not spaghetti. Made with beef, pork, a classic soffritto, wine, milk, and just a touch of tomato, this recipe delivers deep, rich flavor and silky texture exactly the way it’s done in Bologna.
Ingredients
Meat
600 g / 1.3 lb beef skirt or hanger steak, finely ground
400 g / 14 oz fresh pork belly (pancetta, not cured), finely chopped
Vegetables (Soffritto)
60 g / 2.1 oz onion, finely chopped
60 g / 2.1 oz celery, finely chopped
60 g / 2.1 oz carrot, finely chopped
Sauce Base
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
200 g / 7 oz tomato pulp
120 ml / ½ cup red wine
250 ml / 1 cup beef or vegetable stock
20 ml / ½ cup whole milk
To Serve
Salt, to taste
400 g / 14 oz tagliatelle pasta
Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, grated
Tools
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How to
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and add the ground beef and chopped pork belly, cooking gently until lightly browned.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes to sweeten it, then add the finely chopped onion, celery, and carrot and cook slowly until the vegetables soften and turn glossy.
- Increase the heat slightly and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the tomato pulp and stock, stir well, bring to a gentle simmer, and keep the temperature between 85–95°C / 185–203°F so it simmers without boiling.
- Let the sauce cook gently for about 1 hour, then add the milk and continue simmering for another 1 hour until the sauce becomes thick, rich, and meat-forward rather than soupy.
- Season carefully with salt, tasting and adjusting until the flavor is deep and balanced.
- Cook the tagliatelle in well-salted water until al dente, drain, add the ragù to the pasta, mix well, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes so the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce.
- Serve hot and finish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
