Ragù alla Bolognese
A slow-cooked, complex meat sauce. It is not a 'meat-flavoured tomato sauce'—it is a meat sauce that happens to have a little tomato.
Bologna is known as 'La Grassa' (The Fat), and this ragù is the reason why. It is a display of patience, taking 3 to 4 hours to reach its peak.
Only a few ingredients
Soffritto
Onion, celery, carrot — all finely minced, all three. Low heat, longer than you think. Soft and sweet before the meat goes in. Not coloured.
the baseBeef & Pork
Break it up well — no large pieces. Let it colour on the bottom before you move it. You want caramelisation, not steam.
not extra-leanDry White Wine
A full glass into the hot pan. Scrape everything off the bottom. Let it reduce almost completely before anything else goes in.
Whole Milk
In at the end of the long cook. It tenderises the meat and smooths the whole thing. It is not a shortcut for time — you still need the hours.
essentialIt is not for Spaghetti.
In Bologna, ragù is never served with spaghetti. The sauce is too heavy; it requires the broad surface of Tagliatelle or the structure of Lasagne.
Tagliatelle
Fresh egg pasta is the only correct choice.
Lasagne
The foundation of the world's best lasagne.
Ready to cook?
These sources we trust. Each one makes it correctly.