Ragu Bolognese

By hello@cre8tivediva.com

Feb 23, 2022, Updated Aug 08, 2024

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There are few recipes in my repertoire that I turn to at least once a week knowing very well it will happily feed my whole family or any guest I have visiting. My ragu bolognese is one of those recipes.

This ragu bolognese is a family recipe that I have grown up eating from as young as I can remember. Whenever the pot is bubbling away on my stove and my house is filled with its delicious and rich aroma, I am instantly transported back to my childhood home and my mothers kitchen. I always make a large dutch oven full of bolognese that my family can eat for a lunch or dinner over a few days. The flavours of the sauce deepen as time goes by.

This is a traditional ragu bolognese that is cooked in a tomato based sauce on a low simmer for 2 - 3 hours. I begin by browning and caramelising the mince in lots of olive oil. I then remove the meat and add the sofrito  of finely diced onions, carrot and celery to the pan with the juices from the meat and remaining olive oil. I cook off the tomato paste on a high heat so it caramelises and deglaze the pot with lots of white wine. The more white wine the better! The meat is then added back in with a mix of fresh and tinned tomatoes.You can use a mix of beef, pork and lamb mince however, it's perfectly fine if you can only get your hands on pork and beef. Traditionally, a ragu bolognese is made with what is referred to as the holy trinity of meats that contains beef, pork and lamb.Bippi’s Italian style chili oil elevates my family bolognese to a whole new level. The heat from the chili is the perfect accompaniment to the rich red sauce. I like to top my pasta with the chili oil however, you can also add it directly to the sauce for that extra kick.

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Ragu Bolognese

By Daen Lia
A traditional rags bolognese
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 500 g Beef mince
  • 500 g Pork mince
  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 White onions, finely diced
  • 2 Carrots, finely diced
  • 3 Stalks celery, finely diced
  • 4 Garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
  • ½ cup White wine
  • 700 g Passata
  • 4 Tomatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup water
  • 500 g Pasta, of your choice
  • ½ cup Pasta water
  • Pecorino Romano, grated

Instructions 

  • Season your mince with salt and pepper. In a large pot on a high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to the heat. Add half of the mince into the pan and fry for three minutes, breaking the mince down with your spoon and stirring occasionally. You want to cook your mince in batches so it does not overcrowd the pot and broil. Take your mince out of the pot with a slotted spoon and repeat this step. Don’t worry if your meat is still a little pink and not cooked through as it will continue to cook in the sauce. This step ensures we are building flavour and texture in the dish. Take the second bath of mince out of the pot with all of its juices and set to the side.
  • In the same pot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and bring to the heat. Turn the heat down to low and cook the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for 12 - 15 minutes or until they become fragrant and translucent. Turn the heat to medium - high and add the tomato paste to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes stirring quite often until it turns a deep red colour and is almost sticking to the pan. Deglaze the plan with white wine and stir until 80% of the liquid has been absorbed. 
  • Add your passata, tomatoes, water, and salt and pepper to the pot and stir well. Add your cooked mince and all of its delicious juices and give it a stir. Bring your ragu to the boil and then turn the heat down to low and leave to simmer for 2 - 2.5 hours with the lid off. Taste your sauce as it cooks to ensure it is seasoned to your liking. You may want to add more sugar, salt or pepper.
  • While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. If using fresh pasta, cook for 2 minutes or until very al dente. If using packet pasta, follow the instructions on the back of the pasta packet for al dente pasta and drain your pasta 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time as it will continue to cook when it’s stirred through the sauce. Reserve ½ cup pasta water. 
  • Combine your drained pasta and pasta water to the sauce and stir through on a low heat for 2 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of pecorino romano and as much Bippi Italian style chilli oil as you can handle.
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2 Comments

  1. Elaine Clyde says:

    Could you do this recipe in the ninja foodi

    Reply
    1. daenskitchen says:

      I am sure you could if it has a pressure cooker or slow cooker feature!

      Reply