Ragù alla bolognese is one of the sauce most characteristic of Italian cuisine is what has consecrated the Beautiful Country, as a maximum, the holder of the good kitchen. We also prepare this sauce with minced meat. Many people use different types of meat: in the original version there is beef and pork. For the origin of the term, however, it is necessary to go to France. Where “ragout” once refers to those preparations in which meat, fish or vegetables are reduced into small pieces and then cooked in stews.
Italian history of the word
The term landed in Italy at an unclear time, but it’s certain that aristocratic minds knew ragù well from the Renaissance onwards. They generally considered it a second course and perfect for enriching pasta. After, it passed from the rich tables to the most popular ones. The term was then updated to all the “meat sauces” used around Italy, such as those used for example in Umbria, Puglia or Sardinia.
What is the story of ragù alla bolognese
The first reference to Bolognese sauce goes back to 19th century. It was published in 1891 in the cookbook of Pellegrino Artusi called “L’arte di mangiare bene” (The art of eating well). The recipe of Artusi only partially seems Bolognese meat sauce: in fact, the sauce is made with lean fillet of veal, bacon, butter, onion and carrot. The meat and vegetables had to be finely chopped, cooked in butter until golden brown, then covered and cooked with broth. As a final touch, he also suggested adding half a glass of cream to make the taste softer.
In October 1982, the Bolognese delegation of Italian Academy of the Kitchen (Accademia italiana della cucina) filed the official recipe for Bolognese ragù in the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Bologna. In fact, they wanted to guarantee continuity and respect for the Bolognese gastronomic culture in Italy and in the world.
Fresh tagliatelle and ragù: what a combination!
Ragù alla Bolognese is one of those recipes that grandmothers have handed down for generations, with its sincerity and genuineness. It’s easy to find many versions of this sauce, some of these are very imaginative and very far from the original recipe. Fundamental, for the success of an excellent Bolognese sauce, is to carefully follow all the cooking phases, with patience and attention and not be in a hurry. The long cooking is in fact fundamental for the right taste and consistency. Usually eaten with fresh egg tagliatelle but it used to season other types of pasta as lasagna (with béchamel) or polenta.
Ragù alla Bolognese – The recipe
Ingredients
150 g of lean minced beef
150 g of minced pork
1 carrots
1 stem of celery
Half onions
Half glass of white wine
750 ml of tomato sauce
1 liter of water (in the same bottle of the tomato sauce)
4 spoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Nutmeg (if you like it)
Preparing time 20 min
Cooking time210 min
Serves 4
Instructions to make an incredible ragù
- To prepare Ragù alla Bolognese, start by finely chopping celery, carrot, and onion.
- In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots, and cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Next, add the pork and beef, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the mixture begins to dry out, pour in the white wine and continue cooking until the liquid evaporates.
- Then, add the tomato sauce followed by 1 liter of water. Season with salt, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let it simmer for one hour.
- After an hour, add half a liter of water and continue cooking for another hour, remembering to check on it periodically.
- Finally, season with pepper and additional salt if needed. Remove the sauce from the heat, add cooked pasta, and toss everything together.
- Serve immediately, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.
