This Sauce is So Good
I’m not trying to toot my own horn… in fact I’m surprised at how well this ragu alla bolognese turned out. The objective for this recipe is to make an amazing spaghetti sauce that is thick, sweet, with that extra something, but is still super easy to prepare. Please give this a try!
Let’s back up a minute. I have always called a red sauce for pasta ‘spaghetti sauce’, however, there are quite a few variations of red sauces. A bolognese is make with beef, pork, or both, along with celery, onions, and carrots. All pulled together with milk. I know, I wasn’t expecting milk, but it adds richness.
To keep this convenient, this ragu alla bolognese uses ground beef and pork. Prepare this ragu in under an hour. Once you have this mastered, use it over your favorite pasta or make a lasagna!
What You Need to Make Ragu Alla Bolognese
- Ground Beef and Ground Pork – Use equal parts. The ground pork should be unflavored (not a breakfast sausage… but a maple might be amazing in this).
- Veggies – Sweet onion, celery, carrots, garlic. The trio of onion, celery, and carrots is called a mirepoix.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste – The combination will provide the tomato base nice and thick.
- Merlot and Evaporated Milk – Merlot adds a subtly sweet, deep, rich flavor. Substitute beef broth or try 100% grape juice to bring the sweet. Evaporated milk adds fat and more richness. Evaporated milk has a lower water content than regular milk.
- Sugar and Herbs – No surprises here. Thyme, basil, oregano. Just the right amount of salt added in layers. A little added sugar to make that thick sauce irresistible.
How to Make Ragu Alla Bolognese
I always feel the best approach is to prepare all the ingredients. First, peel and slice the onion along the natural lines of the onion. Then, cut across to make petite diced onion.
Next, cut the carrots in to small, diced pieces to match the onions. If using baby carrots, cut them in half then in quarters to make small matchsticks. Then, cut those into small squares. Trim the white and leaves off the celery. Cut the celery into matchsticks, then into small dices.
To mash the garlic, peel each clove. Slice the cloves into thin pieces, then slice those. Using the flat side of a chef’s knife, press the garlic and drag it. Repeat until the garlic is mashed.
To prepare the meat, mix the sea salt, ground beef and ground pork. Pork will add fat and flavor. I really like using the combination of meats together. Measure out the spices, sugar, and salt.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, add olive oil. Warm the oil over medium heat. Then add the celery, onions, carrots, more salt, and then a bit of water. Cook over medium heat until tender.
Add the garlic last and stir, cooking just until the garlic is fragrant. Next, add the meat to the mirepoix (veggies) and cook until all the pink is gone. Remove the mix from the heat, and carefully remove as much of the grease as you can with a measuring spoon. Discard the grease.
Now it’s time to build the sauce. To the meat mix, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, salt, sugar, and wine (or juice or broth). Mix well and simmer. The sauce should be thick and bubbly.
Look at that. So yummy! Thick, sweet, beefy, and full of flavor… you can stop here, or…
… you can add evaporated milk. Milk is a traditional ingredient in bolognese and gives the sauce a bit more richness and creamy texture.
Plate Up Ragu Alla Bolognese
Toss your favorite pasta with the sauce, or simply ladle the sauce over the pasta like gravy. Top with wide slices of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
- Use the time while the sauce is simmering to bring your favorite pasta to a boil. I recommend 1 teaspoon to every 3 cups of water to boil the pasta. Prepare the pasta according to the box. Drain the pasta well (you can add 1/4 cup of water back to the pasta before tossing with the sauce to help the sauce stick to the pasta).
- I always think pasta with sauce is better the next day and stores very well for at least 3-4 days.
- This sauce would be amazing in a lasagna!
- Traditional Bolognese uses white wine. I prefer the deep flavor a red wine brings. Merlot is semi-sweet.
- Ragu is a sauce and Bolognese is a type of ragu.
Ragu Alla Bolognese
Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- dutch oven or large pot
- measuring spoon
- measuring cup
- can opener
- large spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced sweet onions (1 large onion)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery (2-3 stalks)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon fresh mashed garlic (2 large cloves)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2/3 cup Merlot (or 100% grape juice, or beef broth)
- 1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar (add to taste if using grape juice)
- 1 cup evaporated milk (or whole milk) (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients ~ 15 minutes
- Onion: Remove any of the peel that comes off easy. Cut the onion in half, then cut off the dry top and root. Then, peel off the rest of the outside, dry layers. Slice the onion along the ribs, then in the opposite direction to create uniform diced pieces. Place in a bowl.
- Carrot: Cut the carrots lengthwise, then across into uniform petite diced pieces, try to make them the same size as the onion. Place them in the bowl with the onions.
- Celery: Break off stalks from the bunch. Cut off the bottom white base and any leaves or dried ends and discard. Then, cut thin slices lengthwise and then cut across to make those uniform petite diced pieces, similar in size to the onions and carrots. Place those in the bowl with the onion and carrot.
- Garlic: Peel the garlic. Slice each garlic clove into thin pieces, then chop. Lastly, use the flat side of the knife to press and drag the garlic to mash it. Repeat until the garlic is a paste. Set this aside. Do not add it to the veggie bowl.
- Salt, sugar, and herbs: Measure out the salt into a small bowl. Measure out the herbs (these can be combined) into a small bowl. Measure out the sugar into a small bowl.
- The meat: Add the pork, beef, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a bowl. Mix the meat to combine them.
Cook the Sauce ~ 35 minutes
- Cook the veggies: In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Then, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir frequently. The veggies will begin to get nice and tender.
- Add the garlic: Add the garlic to the veggies and cook for another 30 seconds, allowing the garlic to get aromatic, but not burn. Give this a good stir.
- Add the meat: Add the meat to the veggies. Cook for 10 minutes or until all the pink is gone. Be sure to break up the meat into a crumble and stir. By now you should have those coveted brown bits developing on the bottom. Get 'em!
- Drain the fat: Remove the mix from the heat. Carefully spoon out most of the fat and discard.
- The tomatoes, wine, sugar, salt, and herbs: Return the mix to the heat and add the crushed tomatoes, paste, wine, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and herbs to the veggies and meat. Cook for another 10 minutes over low heat, allowing the sauce to simmer.
- Add the milk: Slowly drizzle in the milk, while stirring. Allow the sauce to finish simmering for another 5 minutes. You can leave this out if you want to go dairy free, but this adds a rich, velvety element that's worth the extra step.
- Serve ragu alla bolognese over your pasta of choice!
