Cooking with Patty, my personal collection of Italian recipes

Ragù alla bolognese is now famous worldwide. There are many versions of this recipe I personally like it with just a little bit of tomato sauce and two kinds of meat, pork and beef. Some add also veal which gives a more delicate taste to the sauce, some others instead prefer to use only ground beef.
The ragout can be served with any of your favorite pasta or potato gnocchi with just a sprinkle of freshly ground Parmesan cheese. Bolognese sauce is also the basic ingredient for Lasagna.

Ingredients:

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
7 oz. ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped pancetta* (non smoked bacon)
3/4 cup white onion finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1 celery stalk finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup tomato sauce
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
salt to taste
pinch of pepper

Instructions:

1. In a pan heat the olive oil and add the vegetables (onions, carrots and celery). Cook for a about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.
2. Raise the temperature to a high heat and add the beef, pork and pancetta. Mix often.
3. Once the meat has lost most of its red color, after about 5 minutes, add 1 cup white wine and continue cooking at a high heat mixing often.
4. Continue cooking until the wine evaporates and then add the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt and a very light pinch of pepper. Mix well.
5. Now reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let it cook slowly for about 2 1/2 hours. Check it occasional to be sure it doesn’t get to dry. If it does add a cup of broth.
6. When the ragù is close to done add the butter.

Notes:

The recipe here is for 8 to 10 servings of Ragù. I suggested 2 pounds of pasta if you are cooking for 8-10 people. If you are cooking for 4-6 just make a pound of pasta and you can freeze the extra Ragù for another day.

* pancetta is bacon but unlike bacon is not smoked. It’s cured in salt and spices and aged for few months. You can find imported Italian pancetta in Italian markets and specialty stores.

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