Slow-Simmered Meat Ragù with Pasta
A rich, gently simmered sauce of beef, pork, vegetables, milk and tomato in the style of northern Italy. Patience is the main ingredient — the long simmer does the work.
ItalianFood
20 minPrep
2 hr 10 minCook
2 hr 30 minTotal
MediumDifficulty
Ingredients
Method
- Melt the butter with the oil in a heavy pot over low-medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes until very soft but not browned.
- Add both meats, raise the heat and break them up. Cook for 8–10 minutes until no longer pink and most of the moisture has evaporated. Season with the salt.
- Pour in the milk and simmer, stirring now and then, until it has been absorbed. This makes the meat especially tender.
- Add the wine and simmer until it has mostly evaporated.
- Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes and water. Bring to the barest simmer, partly cover and cook for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if it gets too thick. Season with pepper.
- Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Save a cup of the cooking water, then drain.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce and a little cooking water until glossy. Serve with Parmesan.
Tap an ingredient or step to tick it off as you cook.
Tips
- Wide, flat egg pasta holds this sauce best, but spaghetti works too.
- The sauce keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well; the flavor deepens overnight.
Original recipe by the FileYay team. Amounts are a starting point, so taste and adjust as you go.