Bolognese Sauce : Where Tradition Meets Taste…
Every family, as you can imagine, believes they make the best ragù, everyone has their own ‘original’ recipe, and that’s normal! What I can tell you is that by doing a little research on the net, I was able to see that the recipe my grandmother used to make is really practically identical to the one filed with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.
Ingredients for Bolognese Sauce:
- 600g (1.3 lbs) minced beef / ground beef
- 200g (7 oz) Italian bacon (flat, not rolled)
- 100g (3.5 oz) celery
- 100g (3.5 oz) carrots (trimmed weight)
- 1 golden/yellow onion (about 70-80g / 2.5-3 oz)
- 500g (17.6 oz) tomato passata / tomato puree
- 500ml (2 cups) water (plus extra if needed during cooking)
- 3 tablespoons tomato purée / tomato paste
- Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
- Salt, to taste
- 1 glass (about 120ml / 1/2 cup) dry white wine (good quality)
How to make Bolognese Sauce :
- Finely chop the celery, carrots, and onion using a sharp knife
- Finely chop the Italian bacon as well.
- Heat a large saucepan or pot (about 8 inches / 20 cm in diameter) over medium-high heat. Add the Italian bacon and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, allowing it to release its fat. No additional oil is needed at this stage.
- Add the chopped vegetables to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Increase the heat to high and add the minced beef. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the meat’s juices have completely evaporated. Add a small amount of salt at this point.
- Note: Stay at the stove and stir frequently during these steps to prevent burning.
- Pour in the white wine and let it completely evaporate over high heat.
- Add the tomato paste, tomato puree/passata, and all the water (room temperature is fine). Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, add another pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pot with a lid.
- Simmer the sauce for 3 hours. Stir occasionally, checking every 30 minutes or so, adding more water if necessary.
- Taste the sauce near the end of the cooking time and adjust the salt if needed.
Bon Appétit!
