Food Tours Rome – Local Aromas

Original Italian Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe

  • Home
  • All
  • Original Italian Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe
  • Home
  • Original Italian Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe

Discover the Authentic Ragù alla Bolognese with the Foodie Sisters

To prepare the original Italian Ragù alla Bolognese Recipe, Foodie Sisters in Italy, Benedetta and Valeria, invited a very special guest… their mom, Mamma Giuliana! For the first time together in video, Benedetta, Valeria, and Mamma Giuliana will show you how to make this family favorite, Ragù alla Bolognese.

The Italian Ragu alla Bolognese meat sauce has been adapted worldwide, often with untraditional ingredients like mushrooms, bell peppers, parsley, and garlic. In fact, true ragù from Bologna uses just a few simple ingredients and relies on long, slow cooking to develop its rich flavor.

Mamma Giuliana, who has her own series of kitchen tips and a YouTube channel, uses the official recipe from the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. Filed on 17th October 1982, this recipe remains the classic version of this Italian favorite.

Once you prepare the ingredients, let the sauce bubble gently for 2 hours, checking occasionally. Your house will fill with a delicious aroma. In the end, you’ll have a show-stopping meat sauce to toss with pasta or layer with pasta sheets and béchamel sauce for lasagne.

Ragù alla Bolognese (Serves 4)

Ingredients

  • 300g (10.6 oz) minced beef
  • 300g (10.6 oz) tomato passata
  • 150g (5.3 oz) pancetta
  • 50g (1.8 oz) carrot
  • 50g (1.8 oz) celery (just the stalk rib)
  • 50g (1.8 oz) onion
  • ½ glass dry white wine
  • ½ glass whole milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Begin with finely chopping or mincing the pancetta until it reaches the consistency of the minced beef.

  2. Heat a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan. After that add the pancetta and cook on high until soft and the fat has rendered.
  3. Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Add to the pan and lower the heat. Cook gently until soft.
  4. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Cook until browned. Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
  5. Add the tomato passata, mix well, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add water or stock if it becomes too dry.
  6. Add the milk 5 minutes before the end of cooking time. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Join Our Community

For more authentic and traditional Italian experiences, join our Community Casa Local Aromas and immerse yourself in the true essence of Italy.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and check out our food and wine tours and cooking classes in Rome, Florence, and Venice!