🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🍝 Tagliatelle al Ragù
Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese
Tagliatelle al Ragù is Bologna's crown jewel — a deeply savory, slow-simmered meat sauce clinging to wide ribbons of fresh egg pasta, built patiently over hours rather than minutes.
True Bolognese ragù bears little resemblance to the thick, garlicky, tomato-forward sauce known abroad as 'spaghetti bolognese' — the official recipe, registered with Bologna's Chamber of Commerce, features finely diced soffritto, a mix of beef and pork, milk, and only a modest amount of tomato, simmered low and slow for hours.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, Wooden spoon, Large pot for pasta
- 1 batch Fresh Egg Pasta Dough, cut into tagliatelle
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 30 g (2 tbsp) butter
- 1 small onion, very finely diced
- 1 carrot, very finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, very finely diced
- 300 g (10 oz) ground beef
- 200 g (7 oz) ground pork
- 100 g (3.5 oz) pancetta, finely diced
- 120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
- 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
- 400 g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Method
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery (soffritto), and cook gently until very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the pancetta and cook until rendered, about 3 minutes.
- Increase heat and add the ground beef and pork, breaking it apart and browning thoroughly, about 8–10 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and simmer until fully evaporated.
- Add the milk and simmer gently until mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes — this tenderizes the meat and rounds out acidity.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer, partially cover, and cook for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally, adding a splash of water or stock if it dries out. Longer (4–6 hours) develops even deeper flavor.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. The finished ragù should be thick, rich, and deeply savory.
- Cook the fresh tagliatelle in salted boiling water for 1–2 minutes until al dente.
- Toss the drained pasta directly with the ragù and a splash of pasta water, and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Chef Tips
- Dice the soffritto vegetables very finely — they should nearly melt into the sauce rather than remain chunky.
- The longer, slower simmer genuinely makes a difference — resist the urge to rush this dish.
- Fresh tagliatelle is traditional for ragù; its wide, porous surface holds the meaty sauce far better than smooth dried pasta.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing the simmer time — a true ragù needs hours to develop its signature depth.
- Using too much tomato, turning it into a tomato sauce with meat rather than a proper meat ragù.
- Serving with spaghetti — Bolognese tradition pairs this rich sauce specifically with wide tagliatelle, not thin spaghetti.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein and iron from the beef and pork.
- The vegetable soffritto adds fiber and micronutrients.
Cultural Note
So central to Bologna's identity is this sauce that the Bologna Chamber of Commerce registered an official recipe in 1982 with the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, in part to combat inaccurate international versions.
Storage & Serving
Storage: The ragù keeps refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months — it often tastes even better the next day.
Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock if needed, then toss with freshly cooked pasta.
Serve with: Parmigiano-Reggiano, A robust Sangiovese wine, Crusty bread