Ragu Bolognese

 Bolognese is probably the most famous Italian sauce. It is a ragu sauce and as such requires a long preparation time so that all the flavours would combine in a characteristic way and the structure becomes that of a sort of a pate. This is where most people make the mistake in preparing this iconic dish as they rush the preparation. The meat should be finely minced so it is best to ask the butcher to mince the meat twice. Bolognese is traditionally eaten with tagliatelle, fresh if possible. Real Italians claim there is no dish called spaghetti Bolognese and the only other acceptable choice of pasta is fettuccine. Regardless, as this dish has spread around the world, the most popular choice of pasta is spaghetti, as is the case in my family as well. The most important thing whichever pasta you choose is that it is a high quality pasta and cook it al dente. You can even use farfalle, penne rigate, even gnochi.

To make this dish as authentic as possible, serve it in the following way. When the sauce is done, put a bit of the sauce in an empty pan, make it bubble, add a bit of pasta water, then add the pasta, mix well and put on the plate. Add a bit of Parmesan cheese and a fresh leaf of basil. Ragu Bolognese can be also used to prepare lasagne but that is a story for another time.



Category: Main course, Pasta
Prep time: 15min
Cooking time:2 hours
Serves 4

Ingredients:
800g mixed minced meat (50% pork, 50% beef)
2 medium sized carrots
1 small onion
2-3 celery stalks
800 ml tomato puree
1 1/2 dcl white wine
Rosemary sprig
Pepperoncino
Olive oil
100g butter
Beef stock or beef or vegetable stock cube

Method:
Finely dice the carrots, celery and onion. Heat up the butter and olive oil in a deep cooking pot. Crush the pepperoncino and put it in the pot then add the vegetables. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables soften up. Add the minced meat, stir well and simmer until it gets brown. Add the rosemary sprig and continue to simmer until the liquid from the meat disappears. Prepare the stock. When the liquid has evaporated, add the wine and let it reduce almost completely. Add the stock and tomato puree and discard the rosemary sprig. Put a lid on the pot and let it simmer on low heat for about an hour 30 minutes.

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