Often used for spaghetti bolognese, which has little to do with Bologna. Ragù classico bolognese is traditionally eaten in Bologna together with tagliatelle. But never with spaghetti. It is also the basis for a variety of other dishes, such as lasagna alla bolognese.
I have listed 2 variations of the recipe here. First, the supposed original recipe and second, the variant that I usually cook. The differences: the original recipe uses bacon instead of ground pork and it does not contain herbs or garlic. Therefore, it is more distinct in meat flavor and other flavors do not detract from it. We also don’t add milk or cream, which is what actually belongs in it.
As mentioned above, this sauce is not classically eaten with spaghetti, but with tagliatelle. The sauce sticks better on those. Probably the variant with spaghetti originated abroad, where spaghetti was more readily available or cheaper than tagliatelle. We eat the sauce at home also with spaghetti. However, it is true that the sauce sticks better to tagliatelle and the whole thing tastes better. But what can I do when the kids want spaghetti 🙂. We almost always have some in our freezer. The kids love it and it freezes well!
The ragù has never tasted better to me myself though than with homemade green tagliatelle! Definitely give it a try, homemade pasta doesn’t take that much work either. Just make this basic green pasta recipe, roll out about 1mm thin and cut lengthwise in 5-10 mm wide slices.
In case you don’t like spinach, you can of course also use this recipe without.
Actually, after rolling out the dough flat, let it dry for 5 minutes, then roll it up like a carpet and cut it into 5-10 mm wide slices. But when I do this, it always sticks together. This may be due to the high humidity here in India, where it does not dry so well. Just try it with a small piece first when making it yourself. I just cut it flat like this on a large board.
Ragù classico Bolognese
Ingredients
- 150 g bacon
- 300 g ground beef
- 50 g carrot
- 50 g celery stalk
- 50 g onion
- 300 g tomato sauce
- ½ glass red wine
- ½ glass milk
- some broth beef
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- ½ glass cream (optional)
Instructions
- First finely chop the carrot, celery and onions and set aside.
- Now finely chop the bacon and fry it in a heavy pan.
- Then add the chopped vegetables and fry them a bit.
- Add the minced meat and mix it until it sizzles.
- Deglaze with the wine and let it evaporate.
- Add the tomatoes, cover and simmer on low heat for about 2 hours.
- Add a little broth at a time so it doesn't burn.
- The consistency of the sauce should be creamy at all times during cooking, not too dry but not too runny.
- Towards the end, add the milk and season with salt and pepper.
- When the ragù is ready, in Bologna cream is traditionally added when it is used to flavor dry pasta. If the sauce is used with fresh tagliatelle, it is omitted.
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Here the link to the original recipe of the accademia italiana della cucina. Cooked with love on From zero to curry.
How we usually cook it at home
And now the version we always cook. My wife doesn’t like the dominant bacon flavor so much and I actually like our version better too. Great instead of the red wine is also a shot of dry vermouth in the ragù! Since I can’t buy beef in Mumbai, I make the ragù with ground buffalo, by the way. Tastes the same as with ground beef 😉.
As you can see, I like authentic cuisine, but deviate from it myself in everyday life. If I do that here on the blog (rarely) but, I point that out clearly, as with this recipe.
Ragù classico Bolognese
Ingredients
- 250 g ground beef
- 250 g minced pork
- 1 large carrot
- 50 g celery stalk
- 2 onions
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- 400 g tomato sauce
- ½ glass red wine (optional)
- some broth ideally beef, else vegetable
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1 pinch Italian herb mix
Instructions
- First, finely chop the carrot, celery and onions (the soffritto) and fry them in a little olive oil. They should not brown in the process. Just before the end, add the garlic and fry it briefly.
- Now put the soffritto aside in a bowl.
- Fry the minced meat briefly. It should form a few roasted aromas, but not cooked through.
- Now deglaze the minced meat with wine.
- Now add the tomato sauce. Use the tomato sauce for deglazing if you cook without wine.
- Now add the soffritto along with the bay leaves, herbs and spices. Rub the herbs with your fingers, then they are not so coarse.
- Let it simmer for 2-3 hours on low heat.
- Add a little broth from time to time so that nothing burns.
- The consistency of the sauce should be creamy throughout the cooking process, not too dry but not too runny.
Please rate my recipe before you leave 🙂:
Enjoy!
