Homemade bolognese sauce - ragù alla bolognese

Name: Homemade bolognese sauce - ragù alla bolognese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h 20 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: En
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil (+/-); 1 onion; 1 carrot; 1 celery stalk; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary; 1 lb ground beef; 1/2 cup red wine; 2 + 1/2 cups tomato purée; 3 tablespoons milk; salt; pepper

Side dish

Very Easy

3 h 30 m

275 Kcal

Fancy a good homemade bolognese sauce, just like in Italy? This recipe for ragù alla bolognese is simple, authentic and full of flavor :) With finely chopped vegetables, well-seared meat, good red wine and slow cooking, you get a rich, flavorful and ultra-comforting sauce. Serve with pasta, lasagne or even freeze to keep on hand. And for the finishing touch: a splash of milk to soften it and a little rosemary to perfume it (if you like). It's the kind of recipe that smacks of homemade, slow-cooked goodness ;)

Materials

1 casserole dish or 1 saucepan with lid
1 wooden spoon
1 knife
1 cutting board

Preparation

Preparation10 min

Cook time3 h 20 m

Finely dice the onion, celery and carrot.
In a hot saucepan or casserole over medium heat, pour in the olive oil and add the chopped onion.
Add the chopped carrot, mix well, then add the chopped celery and mix again.
Cook for 5 minutes, then add the rosemary.
Add the minced meat and crumble with a wooden spoon.
Cook for about 10 minutes.
Deglaze with red wine: add the wine and allow it to evaporate. Then add the tomato purée.
Fill the tomato purée container with water, shake and pour half the water over the ingredients.
Bring the mixture to the boil, cover the saucepan (or casserole) and reduce the heat. Cook over low heat for around 3 hours.
Keep an eye on the sauce, stirring from time to time, adding the remaining water gradually.
Adjust cooking time according to desired texture (dry or liquid).
Add milk and season with salt and pepper at the end of cooking. Stir and remove from heat.
And there you are, the sauce is ready!

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FAQ ❓

Why add milk to Bolognese sauce and what effect does it have?

Milk, added at the end of cooking, softens the acidity of the tomato purée and adds a creamier texture to the sauce, making the Bolognese more balanced in taste. Its addition is of course optional, and you can use plant-based or lactose-free milk.

How can I adjust the texture of Bolognese sauce to suit my personal preferences?

Texture can be modified by adjusting the cooking time: longer cooking times make the sauce drier and more concentrated, while shorter cooking times with the addition of water keep the sauce more liquid.

What role does red wine play in the preparation of Bolognese sauce?

Red wine is used to deglaze the meat and vegetables, bringing depth and aromatic complexity to the sauce, while helping to tenderize the ground meat. Be careful not to use a wine with an overpowering taste that could mask the sauce's other flavors. You can replace it with white wine or non-alcoholic red wine.

Which meat to use for Bolognese sauce?

Traditionally, a mixture of ground pork and ground beef is used. Here, we've simplified the recipe. It therefore contains no pork.

What are your tips for drowning vegetables and why is it important?

Cutting vegetables en brunoise, i.e. into very small cubes, allows them to be cooked evenly and quickly, and helps the flavors integrate better into the sauce, guaranteeing a harmonious texture.

How can I make my Bolognese sauce even more flavorful?

You can add pancetta, traditionally used in the recipe for ragù alla bolognese.

What kind of pasta should I use with Bolognese sauce?

Use a short pasta that will catch the sauce well, such as rigatoni. You can also use tagliatelle. Although Bolognese sauce is usually served with spaghetti, tagliatelle is the long pasta that goes best with this sauce.