Italian · Main · Medium
Tagliatelle al Ragu
Slow simmered beef and pork ragu clinging to wide ribbons of pasta. The real Bolognese, patient and rich.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Tagliatelle al Ragu, in 5 ideas
- The soffritto needs real time. Rushing the vegetables costs you sweetness.
- Milk is traditional and tames the acidity. Do not skip it.
- The ragu should barely bubble. Aggressive boiling makes the meat tough.
- It is even better on day two. Make it ahead when you can.
- Wide flat pasta holds the sauce. Never serve ragu on spaghetti in Bologna.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb tagliatelle
- 1/2 lb each ground beef and ground pork
- 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, all finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- Grated parmigiano reggiano, for serving
How to make it
Directions
- Cook the onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil over medium low heat until very soft, about 12 minutes.
- Raise the heat. Add the beef and pork, breaking it up, and brown well, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble away.
- Add the tomatoes, milk, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer very gently, partially covered, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich.
- Boil the tagliatelle until al dente. Toss with the ragu and plenty of parmigiano.
Double the ragu and freeze half. It keeps 3 months and turns a weeknight into something special.