Learn how to make this slow-cooked Italian ragu I learned in Italy! Of the dozen recipes I cooked during my recent trip to Tuscany, this ragu is one of my favorites. It’s easier to make than most ragus yet packed with robust flavor! This is a great everyday meat sauce that you can add to any of your favorite Italian dishes.

A white bowl with pasta and Italian ragu with a fork in it. The bowl of pasta is displayed on a wooden background with Parmigiano Reggiano, basil leaves, a glass of red wine, and a grey napkin placed around it.

In September of 2026, I went to Tuscany and took several days of cooking classes at La Quercia Estate, and it was genuinely one of the most special experiences of my life. I cooked for hours each day with my teacher, Veronica, and learned so many amazing home-style Italian recipes that I will forever cherish. (You can watch the video of my Italy travels on our YouTube channel here!)

This is the ragu Veronica taught me for a lasagna we made from scratch. One of my favorite things ever is ragu and pasta. And this one has quickly become my favorite ragu to make and enjoy!

To me, this feels like an everyday ragu that goes with any of your favorite Italian dishes. It’s simple to prepare, quick to throw together, and it slowly simmers for 2-3 hours to develop a deep, robust flavor. So it’s not an all-day type of sauce!

Toss this ragu with your favorite pasta shape, layer it into a lasagna, or use it in any Italian dish that calls for a sauce. It’s hearty, rich, and full of authentic flavor. I am so certain you and your family will love it! Enjoy❤️

Ingredients

Full instructions and ingredients are in the recipe card at the end of the post.

The Soffritto – a traditional Italian ragu always requires a soffritto or mirepoix which is a combination of red or yellow onion (I recommend red for this ragu), celery, and onion. This will give an abundance of flavor to the ragu! Cook it in plenty of olive oil to help infuse the flavor into the oil.
The meat – Lean ground beef recommended.
Passata – pureed tomatoes are used as the base, which gives the sauce a smooth consistency without chunks of tomatoes.
Red wine – to add robust flavor, use a dry red wine.
Parmigiano Reggiano rind – I love adding Parmigiano Reggiano rinds to give the sauce more depth and flavor – you can use a small to medium-sized one for this sauce.

How to Make Italian Ragu

Here’s the step-by-step method for making this ragu. You can find the full instructions and details in the recipe card.

1

Make the soffritto: In a food processor or chopper, add the celery, carrot, and onion. Pulse until the texture is fine but not completely pureed.
2

Infuse the oil with the soffritto. This step Veronica taught me for not only cooking the soffritto, but infusing the oil with the soffritto flavor as well. Add the olive oil and soffritto to a cold stainless steel pot, turn the heat on a low to medium flame and let it sit for 3-5 minutes without stirring. Start stirring around 5 minute and saute the vegetables until they are soft (in total this should take around 10 minutes).

3

Cook and brown the beef. Once the soffritto is cooked, add the ground beef. Break the beef into small pieces using a wooden spoon, cook until no longer pink, then continue cooking it until the edges of the beef start to slightly brown. Once it’s fully cooked and browned, add three pinches of salt and a generous crack of white pepper.
4

Add the wine: Turn the heat up a little, and add 2/3 cup of a dry red wine. Cook with the beef until the wine has absorbed.

5

Add the passata: Pour in the passata (rinse the jar with around 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water and pour the remaining tomato into the pot). Add a parmigiano rind, bay leaf (optional), and cover the sauce.
6

Cook the ragu: Let it cook on the lowest setting for 2-3 hours, stirring every so often. Then serve with your favorite pasta!

A close up of nodi morini pasta in a bowl with Italian ragu displayed on a wooden board with a glass of wine and plate of fresh basil around it.

Tips & Notes

Use a stainless steel pot – Although I typically make most of my ragus and meat sauces in my heavy Dutch oven pot, I recommend a stainless steel pot for this recipe. This is a delicate ragu and doesn’t need as much heat as the cast iron provides. I found the sauce cooked down too much when I made this recipe in cast iron. In Italy, Veronica used stainless steel, and I recommend it too!

Bay leaf is optional – In the original recipe, Veronica added a bay leaf to the ragu. I didn’t include one in my version, mostly because I don’t cook with them much, but she literally had a hedge outside of her cooking studio that was entirely made of bay leaves – how cool, right? So for her, fresh bay leaves are easy to find. So if you have any on hand, feel free to use them. I don’t think leaving it out affects the recipe!