White Bolognese (Ragu Bianco)
White bolognese (also known as Ragu Bianco) is just like a classic Ragu alla Bolognese, but without the tomatoes! It's made of a trio of meat, white wine, and a classic Italian soffritto. This sauce is delicate yet robust in flavor and pairs well with any pasta you choose!
Servings 8
Calories 615kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium/large red or yellow onion
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large celery rib
- 5 garlic cloves
- 4 oz diced pancetta
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 3/4 cup dry white wine, I used Pinot Grigio
- 2 cups beef stock or chicken stock
- 1 large Parmesan rind
- 3/4 cup whole milk, divided
- 2 rosemary sprigs, tied with kitchen twine or placed in tea bag (see notes on this)
- 1 lb dried tagliatelle or pappardelle
- 1 1/2 cups pasta water
- salt & black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Chop the soffritto. Roughly chop the carrot, celery, and onion and place them along with the peeled garlic cloves in a food processor. Pulse until they're finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, you can dice the vegetables small, so they blend nicely with the ragu.
- Brown the pancetta. In a Dutch oven pot (I used a 5.5-quart), on medium-low heat, cook the diced pancetta in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until browned.
- Cook the soffritto. Then add the chopped soffritto to the browned pancetta, with a healthy pinch of salt, and cook until the vegetables have softened (about 3 minutes).
- Add the pork and beef. Once the soffritto is soft, add the ground pork and beef with a generous pinch of salt. Use a wooden spoon to break the ground meat into small pieces as it cooks for about 5-7 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the wine. After the meat is cooked, add 1 cup of white wine and let that cook for several minutes with the meat.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer. After the wine has cooked for a few minutes, add the rosemary sprig, chicken stock, 1/2 cup of whole milk, and ground nutmeg with a small pinch of salt and black pepper. Partially cover the pot, and let simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Then uncover the pot, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of milk, and let the sauce cook for another 20-30 minutes while you prepare the pasta. Carefully remove and discard the rosemary and parmesan rind. Note: while the sauce cooks, I like to skim off the excess oils that rise to the top using a spoon or small ladle. This will help prevent the sauce from being overly greasy.
- Cook the pasta and reserve some pasta water. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the dried pasta, and stir it to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook until it's al dente in texture. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water and set it aside.
- Toss the pasta and bolognese together. Drain the cooked pasta, then add it to a large saucepan or pot. Ladle in ragu sauce as needed, then a few tablespoons of pasta water, and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Keep the heat on low to melt the cheese, and toss everything together. Add more cheese and pasta water as needed until everything comes together. Serve right away, with more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
To prevent the rosemary pieces from getting into the sauce, I recommend wrapping a fresh rosemary sprig securely with kitchen twine. If you use dried rosemary, place it in a teabag or vessel to let the flavors infuse. Then discard at the end of cooking.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 615kcal | Carbohydrates: 49.9g | Protein: 35.7g | Fat: 27.5g | Saturated Fat: 9.2g | Cholesterol: 91.9mg | Sodium: 686mg | Sugar: 4.3g