Ragù (Meat Sauce) Bolognese My Way

Fresh Noodles with Ragù Bolognese

Guess what is the first dish I made in the States to remember the flavors of my homeland? The legendary Tagliatelle with Ragù (meat sauce) - Italian Version -, of course! It was a rather easy choice for me, being from Bologna; but being able to easily retrieve all the ingredients, made the choice that much easier. The following is my mom’s recipe for ragù, slightly modified, in that I use lot’s of vegetables and very little oil. Besides, my mom’s recipe already differs from the traditional recipe, which often requires fattier meats and lard, instead of olive oil. My ragù, on the other hand, thanks to the vegetables in it, turns out quite delicious.



RAGU' (MEAT SAUCE) BOLOGNESE MY WAY

• 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
• 0.5 lb lean ground pork
• 4 carrots, very finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, very finely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, very finely chopped
• 2 cups of tomato puree
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1 bouillon
• water warm, as needed
• salt to taste

1. Saute the vegetables in the extra virgin olive oil.
2. Add the grounds meats and sautee until no longer pink.Separate the meat as it cooks, so you don’t end up with big chunks. 
3. Add the wine, and let it evaporate. Do not cover the pot.
4. Dissolve bouillon in some warm water. Then add it to the pot with meat, enough water to cover the meat completely. 
5. Add the tomato puree. When it is about to boil, reduce heat to simmer and let cook for 5 to 6 hours, covered.
6. If needed, add some additional warm water. Salt to taste at the end of the cooking time.

See? Its light and easy! Now all you have to do is make some tagliatelle.
This recipe yields quite a bit of sauce, but you can freeze any leftovers and use them when you have unexpected guests. They will be very impressed!