Pasta Bolognese
Quick answer
- Total time
- 110 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 12
About this dish
Pasta Bolognese is a slow-simmered meat ragu from Bologna in Emilia-Romagna, built on a soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery cooked down with a mixture of ground beef and ground pork.
Read more
Browning the meat properly in a hot pan before any liquid is added creates a Maillard crust that contributes a depth of flavor that no amount of simmering can replicate. Red wine deglazes the pan, lifting every bit of browned fond from the bottom. Whole milk is then stirred in to soften the acidity and tenderize the proteins, which is the detail that separates a true Bolognese from a generic meat sauce. The ragu requires at least one hour of low, uncovered simmering for the fat to separate, the liquid to reduce, and the meat to break down into a cohesive sauce. Tagliatelle is the canonical pairing in the region, with the wide, egg-enriched ribbons catching the chunky sauce in every fold. Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano finishes the dish. Cooking the tomato paste directly in the pan after the soffritto for two minutes caramelizes its natural sugars and removes raw bitterness before any liquid goes in.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Finely dice 100 g onion, 60 g carrot, and 60 g celery into even pieces so they soften at the same pace.
Break up the ground beef and pork before cooking so they brown evenly in the pan.
- 2Control
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-low heat.
Add the soffritto and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables lose moisture, turn glossy, and smell sweet without browning too hard.
- 3Step
Add 200 g ground beef and 150 g ground pork, then raise the heat to medium-high.
Let the meat sit briefly between stirs so browned bits form on the bottom instead of steaming in its own juices.
- 4Control
Pour in 100 ml red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve the browned fond.
Simmer for about 2 minutes, until the sharp alcohol aroma fades and the liquid reduces by roughly half.
- 5Control
Crush 400 g whole peeled tomatoes by hand or with a spoon, then add them with 100 ml milk and 1 teaspoon salt.
Simmer uncovered over low heat for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally so the ragu thickens without catching.
- 6Finish
Cook 320 g tagliatelle in salted water until al dente, then transfer it directly into the ragu.
Loosen with a little pasta water if needed, toss until glossy, and finish with 40 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Slow-simmered beef and pork ragu softened with milk to balance the acidity of red wine.
- Finish cue
- Loosen with a little pasta water if needed, toss until glossy, and finish with 40 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
110min, 12 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
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