PASTA AL RAGU

Posted by Nonna G on Jun 9th 2021

Ragù served over Rigatoni pasta is one of the signature dishes of Bologna, the food-loving capital city of Emilia-Romagna. In fact, this rich, meaty tomato Ragù is so closely associated with Bologna that any dish described as Bolognese will be cloaked in it.

In our recipe, we have given you two options: make your own pasta and Ragù following the traditional steps, which typically takes about two hours, or use authentic Emilia-Romagnan products to create an authentic dish in half an hour. However, you decide to go, we are sure the dish will transport you to the terracotta rooftops of Bologna with each bite.

Rigatoni al Ragu Recipe (Bolognese)

INGREDIENTS

1 Lb Rigatoni pasta https://noiitalianmarket.com/gentile-pasta-rigatoni-di-gragnano-igp-1-1-lb/

Parmesan cheese

Sea salt, for pasta water

For the Ragù:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil https://noiitalianmarket.com/oil-vinegar/

1 tablespoon of butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 small carrot, minced

1/2 rib celery, minced

8 ounces ground pork

8 ounces ground beef

1/2 cup of tomato paste

1/2 cup white wine

1 L chicken or beef broth

2 tablespoons of milk

Fine sea salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

To make your own Ragù:

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the carrot, celery, and butter, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant, about 2 more minutes.

Crumble the pork and beef into the pan. Season with fine sea salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat has rendered most of its fat and is just beginning to brown (about 5 minutes). Spoon out and discard some of the rendered fat, but leave enough to cover the bottom of the pan. (This will depend on the meat you’re using: there may not be an excessive amount of fat.)

Add the wine and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated, about 6 minutes.

In a separate pot, warm the broth and add the tomato paste until it dissolves. Add the broth to the meat and decrease the heat to low, stir to combine, and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until the stock has reduced, but the sauce is still moist, about 45 minutes longer add the milk at end. Taste the sauce, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and remove from the heat.

To cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When the water is boiling, add salt and then the pasta. Cook a 1 minute less than package instructions, drain it in a colander, preserving a small amount of the cooking water. Transfer immediately to the saucepan and toss vigorously to combine and allow the pasta to cook a final minute in the sauce. If needed, add a small amount of the cooking water, to loosen the sauce.

Serve immediately and add the grated cheese, and dream with Bologna.

Buon appetito!