Name: Ragù alla bolognese (Meat Sauce from Bologna)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1 cup meat stock, or as needed; 2 ounces pancetta, chopped; ½ pound boneless beef chuck or brisket, chopped; ½ pound boneless pork shoulder, chopped; 2 ounces prosciutto, chopped; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 1 carrot, peeled and chopped; ¼ cup tomato purée (optional); 2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in ½ cup water; 1 celery stalk, chopped; 1 cup milk (optional); Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup dry red wine; 1 pound fresh tagliatelle (fettuccine) or pappardelle, cooked; Unsalted butter (optional) and Parmesan cheese; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Italian Slow and Savory

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2004

About

You can use a knife—my preference—or kitchen scissors to chop the meat, or you can use the pulse function on a food processor, though you run the risk of the meat becoming too fine before you stop. I like to use brisket for ragù alla bolognese because it has a particularly rich flavor. It makes a good alternative to the traditional combination of beef and pork.