Easy Pasta al Ragù (Beef Bolognese)
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I can eat pasta every day. I love the comfort, the flavors and how easy it is to make. Pasta al Ragù (Beef Bolognese) is no different. It’s simple to make – all you need is time! This traditional beef bolognese recipe has a deep, rich flavor that is out of this world. Ground beef is browned with onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. It’s then slowly simmered in a wonderful broth of San Marzano tomatoes, beef stock, milk, red wine, and spices. If you’re craving comfort, this recipe is for you!
Let’s Talk Pasta al Ragù (Beef Bolognese)
So what is Pasta al Ragù? It simply means pasta with meat sauce. You may know it as Beef Bolognese. I’ve had several types of beef bolognese – beef, pork, lamb and even duck. They’re all delicious due to the slow cooking process. Beef bolognese is definitely a commitment, but it’s an easy commitment. The process is not difficult, but it does require 2-3 hours of time. You can do it! I promise the end result is totally worth it! This is what you need:
Pasta al Ragù Ingredients
- Ground beef – I used ground beef in this recipe. It’s not uncommon to use half ground beef and pork. You can also use half ground beef and lamb. I’ve had it all and it’s all delicious!
- Onion – Diced onion is sautéed with the ground beef. Onion adds flavor and a little sweetness.
- Carrot – Finely diced carrot is wonderful in beef bolognese. The sweetness of the carrot helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and wine.
- Celery – Some finely diced celery is also added to complete the mirepoux. What is a mirepoux? It’s a mixture of onion, carrot and celery that are gently sautéed in fat to release their flavors. It serves as a flavor base for many dishes. In this case, we’re using it for the base of the bolognese sauce.
- Garlic – Garlic is a no brainer. It adds that wonderful deep, sweet & buttery flavor.
- Tomato paste – Some tomato paste is cooked into the meat, creating a deep, rich tomato flavor.
- Whole milk – The best part! Whole milk is slowly reduced into the sauce. This helps create a silky, tender bolognese sauce.
- Red wine – Some red wine is added for depth of flavor. It pairs well with the tomatoes and adds some earthiness.
- Beef stock – Beef stock is used for flavor and richness. It enhances the overall beef flavor. It also helps the sauce cook down, creating a sauce that’s not too thick and not too thin.
- San Marzano Tomatoes – San Marzano Tomatoes are preferred in this recipe due to their sweetness and low acidity. They’re ideal for sauces. I like to use whole peeled tomatoes.
- Bay leaf – A couple of bay leaves simmer with the sauce, adding a wonderful earthy flavor.
- Salt & Pepper – Salt & pepper help season the sauce.
- Parmesan rind – A parmesan rind enhances the flavor of the sauce by infusing salty, nutty and umami richness. You can also eat it!
How to Make Pasta al Ragù
As you can see the process is actually pretty easy! It’s simply dumping ingredients and waiting for them to cook down and do their thing. The more you let the ingredients do their thing, the better the sauce. Patience is definitely needed, but as the sauce cooks you can clean up, check emails, watch Netflix, read a book…maybe pour yourself a glass of wine? The ideas are endless. But I can assure you that a delicious meal will be waiting for you in just a few hours. See?
Tips for Success
There are several things you can do to make sure your Pasta al Ragù turns out. These tips help create a wonderful bolognese sauce. They are also great general cooking tips!
- Read through the entire recipe before starting, and prep your ingredients. This helps prevent mistakes and makes clean up easier.
- Trust the process and be patient. Try not to move to the next step until the first one is completed.
- Season as you go! Don’t be afraid to taste test as you cook and add salt and pepper as necessary.
- Try to use whole peeled San Marzano Tomatoes. The flavor just can’t be beat.
- Use whole milk. Bolognese is supposed to rich.
- Don’t worry about the price of the wine – in fact, cheap wine works great.
- Don’t forget to save some pasta water – see the recipe card below. Pasta water (the water that the pasta cooks in) is a wonderful ingredient!
- Finely dice the vegetables – they will melt into the sauce better.
Variations and Substitutions
- Lamb and pork are wonderful additions to bolognese. I suggest using half ground beef and half lamb or pork. The lamb will add richness and a slightly gamey flavor. The pork will add a milder, sweeter flavor. You can’t go wrong with these combos – it’s really personal preference.
- Feel free to add additional vegetables. Finely diced mushrooms and zucchini would be wonderful.
- You can use crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes instead of whole peeled. I just prefer the whole tomatoes.
- You can use a white, yellow or Vidalia onion in this recipe. Vidalia onions are sweeter.
- Feel free to add herbs, dried or fresh. Basil, oregano, parsley are common Italian herbs.
- You don’t have to use red wine. To replace it, simply add more beef stock.
- Bolognese is typically served over pappardelle pasta, but any pasta would work!
If you’re into pasta like me, I have several other recipes I think you would enjoy. A few include my Pasta Carbonara, Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta, and Tomato Garlic Pasta with Crispy Chicken.
And there you have it. A simple and easy recipe for beef bolognese that anyone and everyone can enjoy. All you need is some time and a fork. Enjoy!
Pasta al Ragù (Beef Bolognese)
Pasta al Ragù, also known as, Beef Bolognese, is a rich Italian meat sauce that is slow cooked until tender. This classic recipe is simple to make yet results in a deeply flavored bolognese that's wonderful over pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef (or 1 pound beef and 1 pound lamb or pork)
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 2 stalks of celery, small dice
- 2 carrots, peeled and small dice
- 2 large cloves of garlic minced (or 3 small)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef stock (if you
- 28 ounce can whole san marzano tomatoes
- 1 large bay leaf (or 2 small)
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 pound of pappardelle pasta
- Salt & Pepper
- Pasta water
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: finely dice the onions, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. Prepare the tomatoes by adding the can of whole tomatoes to a bowl. With clean hands, crush the tomatoes well until no clumps remain; set aside. You can use a can of crushed tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes. However, whole tomatoes offer the freshest flavor.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot and place over medium heat. Once hot, add ground beef. As it starts to cook, break it up with a wooden spoon. Once it's cooked half way through, add diced onion, carrot and celery and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Continue to cook until meat is fully browned and vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Move the meat to one side of the pan and add the tomato paste to the side that is empty. Stir the tomato paste for about a minute before mixing it entirely into the meat. This helps toast the tomato paste a little, adding flavor and reducing its acidity.
- Next, add the milk to deglaze the pan. Turn heat down if needed to prevent burning. The sauce should simmer, not boil. Stir in the milk, letting it reduce for about 20 minutes. Continue stirring often.
- Next, stir in the wine and beef stock and let it reduce down just like the milk. Should take about 10 minutes or so.
- Lastly, add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf and parmesan rind. Turn heat to low and let the sauce simmer with the lid off for 2 hours, stirring about every 20 minutes. Feel free to taste the sauce as it cooks down - add salt to your liking.
- Prepare the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to boiling water before adding the noodles. Before draining, measure about a cup of pasta water. The pasta water will help break up the sauce and stick to the noodles.
- Add noodles to the sauce and stir. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time until you've reached the right consistency. The sauce should coat the noodles, but not be soupy. Top with parmesan cheese, serve with crusty bread and salad.
Notes
Sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator over night. To reheat, simply add to a large pot over medium heat. If it's too thich, add a lade of pasta water or beef stock to loosen it up.
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