Traditional Italian Bolognese Sauce - Ragu' alla Bolognese

Try this hearty and traditional Italian bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta, lasagna or gnocchi
A must-try Italian cuisine staple!

This is a must-know recipe for any Italian cook.

Ragu' alla bolognese is a meat based sauce originating from the Italian town of Bologna. 

It's very versatile: used in lasagna, over gnocchi or over pasta (pappardelle, linguine, spaghetti or any of your favorite!).

The recipes starts with a soffritto: sauteing some vegetables (carrots, onions and celery), adding ground meat and slowly cooking with crushed tomatoes and white wine for about an hour. 

I like to use both ground beef and ground pork, which I find gives the sauce its deep and rich flavor. 

If you prefer, you could also only use ground beef and add a bit of pancetta or bacon for added aroma.

When I make bolognese sauce, I generally make a lot of it! 

Enough for a large lasagna and a couple of pasta dinners. 

It's probably the only sauce that I store in the freezer. 

It's easy: place enough for a family dinner in a freezer bag, remove as much air as you can, and seal tightly. 

It's very quick to defrost and the flavor keeps very well.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make about 3 quartz (12 cups) of sauce

• 1 medium onion
• 1 large carrot 
• 1 large celery stalk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 cans of 28 oz (total 56 oz) crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 1.5 cups  white wine
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 whole cloves (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation time: 15 minutes to prepare, at least 1 hour to cook

Directions:
Step 1: Chop the onion, carrots and celery in small pieces. Saute' the vegetables in a large sauce pan, over medium heat with two tablespoons of olive oil, for about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Mix in the ground pork and beef. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until all the meat is brown.

Step 3: Add the crushed tomatoes, white wine, rosemary sprig and whole cloves (if you use them). Salt to taste. Cover the pan, and simmer the sauce for about 50-60 minutes over medium heat. Check and stir once in a while.

Step 4: If the sauce is too watery, uncover the pan and cook uncovered for the last 5-10 minutes. Remove (if you can or if you like) the rosemary and whole cloves. 

Cook your pasta following the direction on the package. Mix the pasta with some bolognese sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Buon Appetito!!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD: Italian Bolognese Sauce 

Traditional Italian Bolognese Sauce - Ragu' alla Bolognese

Author: Manuela Mazzocco

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

Try this hearty and traditional Italian bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta, lasagna or gnocchiA must-try Italian cuisine staple!

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large celery stalk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 cans of 28 oz (total 56 oz) crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 1.5 cups white wine
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 whole cloves (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the onion, carrots and celery in small pieces. Saute' the vegetables in a large sauce pan, over medium heat with two tablespoons of olive oil, for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the ground pork and beef. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until all the meat is brown.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, white wine, rosemary sprig and whole cloves (if you use them). Salt to taste. Cover the pan, and simmer the sauce for about 50-60 minutes over medium heat. Check and stir once in a while.
4. If the sauce is too watery, uncover the pan and cook uncovered for the last 5-10 minutes. Remove (if you can or if you like) the rosemary and whole cloves.
5. Cook your pasta following the direction on the package. Mix the pasta with some bolognese sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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