Italian Ragu
Learn how to make the Italian ragu I learned in Italy! I spent several days in Tuscany learning over a dozen Italian recipes, and this ragu is one of the favorites that I learned. It's easier to make than most ragus while still being filled with robust flavor! This is a great everyday ragu that you can add to any of your favorite Italian dishes.
Servings 6
Calories
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small celery rib
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2/3 cup dry red wine
- 1 medium-sized Parmigiano Reggiano rind
- 24.5 oz Passata
- 1 bay leaf *optional
- 3 pinches salt
- 1 generous pinch white pepper
Instructions
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cook the ragu: Let it cook on the lowest setting for 2-3 hours, stirring every so often. Then serve with your favorite pasta!