Christmas is coming. Depending on your mindset this can be a welcome and cheerful reminder, or it may inspire a bit of dread. Did you finish your shopping? Yes. Have you planned a meal? No? Oh, I can help with that part. This year with most of us having smaller celebrations a pasta dish is just the thing for Christmas dinner. Make Ragù Quasi Alla Bolognese for dinner! It’s delicious, just about everyone will love it and while it requires time, it’s not too complicated to make. This can be made ahead of time. As a bonus, this recipe makes enough to freeze for later, or give to a neighbor who might need a hand.
Some Background
There is much debate as to where the Ragù originated. The term Ragù comes from the French ‘ragout’ generally meaning vegetables and meats stewed together. When it comes to the Italian Ragù there is even more debate about the specifics of ingredients. Naples and Bologna both claim to have invented the meat sauce we all know and love. Giving pizza to Naples, I tend to favor the idea that the Ragù alla Bolognese (from Bologna) is the holy grail of Ragù.
Most agree that this should be mainly a meat sauce to include some carrots, onion and celery. The meat should look like ‘little pebbles’. The vegetable should be finely chopped so they practically melt into the sauce. The acceptable level of tomato is a hot topic as is the type of wine to use. Interestingly, tomatoes are native to South America rather than Europe. Any pasta sauce with tomatoes wasn’t even widely made in Italy until the 1500’s. The first meat sauce probably didn’t have any tomatoes at all. I’ve named my recipe Ragù Quasi Alla Bolognese, roughly meaning “Meat Sauce Almost From Bologna”.
The Method
Vegetables & Chopping
Chopping all vegetables by hand is certainly more authentic. This recipe however was designed to favor using a food processor to chop your vegetables. The results are pretty good and the time savings is so worth it. Do this step by cutting each vegetable into large, relatively similar chunks and then pulse each vegetable type in the food processor. Scrape down the sides every few pulses and pulse again until you have a relatively uniform finely chopped vegetable. Stop before the chop becomes a pulp. The onions must be done in batches since there are too many to do at once. The celery and the onions must have the excess liquid removed. Wring out in a clean kitchen towel. Use one with a low pile if possible, or press with paper towel in a fine mesh sieve.
I have finely chopped all of my vegetables by hand before several times, but once with with a dull knife. It took me two hours and the pieces were too large and my eyeballs almost fell out of my face with my tears. My tears weren’t just from the onions. DEAR GOD NEVER AGAIN. If by some chance you still prefer to chop by hand, use 1.5 lbs of onion and skip the drying/wringing out process. Put on some good music or a podcast. Lastly, for sanity’s sake USE A SHARP KNIFE. Do it for me, do it for yourself. Please. #selfcare
The cooking process of these vegetables will be a foundation of flavor for your Ragù. Don’t skip the browning process. We’re looking to cook these vegetables in a large amount of oil for about 30 minutes, or until they turn a nice full caramel color. Be sure to stir every few minutes so that the bottom doesn’t burn. The vegetables will soften allowing them to melt into this sauce and blend with the other ingredients.
Meat
The recipe calls for a mix of pork and beef. I advise against using lean versions. You’ll be removing a lot of the fat later, but it needs to start in the pan so that it can flavor your sauce properly. The browning process is really important in this recipe. You’ll want to go beyond just cooking the meat here, but to actually create a brown crust on some of the bits. We don’t want to reduce the meat to desiccated bits of course, but some real browning is what we’re after. The meat will soften again in the cooking or stewing process later.
You’ll be cooking your meant in batches with plenty of space in your pan so as not to steam the meat. I recommend starting out in a wide frying pan or skillet with high sides for this purpose. I usually brown the meat one pound at a time in this way, collecting each finished batch in a large bowl. Use a spoon or turner with a nice long flat edge if you have it. This will allow you to continuously scrape the bottom of your pan to loosen brown bits and prevent burning.
Cooking & Simmering
An idea to cut down your total cooking time here would be to cook your meats at the same time you cook your vegetables, but in two separate pots. You can cook the vegetables in the taller pot or dutch oven.
In the earlier stages of cooking you’ll notice a few steps where I advise deglazing your pan. This should be done to avoid burning the brown bits on the bottom of your pan. These little brown bits are precious and are an essential part of flavoring your sauce. If too many accumulate they can burn. Deglaze if it becomes impossible to scrape most of them from the bottom of your pan, save them by adding them to your reserved meat.
Allowing the sauce to simmer once all ingredients are combined is essential. Time is really the secret ingredient. Do this over a very low flame so the sauce is just bubbling. I recommend about 3 hours, but you could go a bit longer if you have the time, just watch your liquid levels so the sauce doesn’t dry out too much.
A Note on Parmesan
I’d like to add note on the addition of parmesan. Many recipes call for a parmesan rind. I avoid this here because I find that the residual parmesan melts, sticks and sometimes burns on the bottom of the pot. My Mamma Mia taught me to add grated parmesan, but only at the same time as the rest of your cold ingredients like wine, stock and tomatoes. Do not allow the sauce to heat before adding your cheese or it will melt and stick together. Stirring it into a relatively cool sauce will allow you to distribute the parmesan throughout the sauce before it melts.
Final Tasting Notes
Samin Nosrat says “If needs some acid, add a secret splash of wine. If it seems bland, add tomato paste to bring it to life and lend sweetness. If it needs to be richer, add a little milk.” I can’t really put it any better honestly. I would add to check for the taste of your lemon zest, orange zest and cinnamon. You want a hint of these flavors to make your sauce bright. You don’t want the flavor to over power the dish. Add a bit more zest or a pinch of ground cinnamon if needed. Always check your salt and pepper at the end.
The Bottom Line
I think this would be a fantastic Christmas dinner or Holiday meal. You could also make this for a NYE dinner or a Sunday family sit down dinner. This is a fantastic choice to make ahead, it tastes even better the next day. Whatever you do, serve it over your favorite noodles. This is the perfect excuse to make your own pasta noodles too! There’s no shame in a fun pre-packaged pasta noodle either. I usually make some kind of egg noodle, but love a good rigatoni or fusilli too. Butter your noodles before adding the sauce on top, with parmesan cheese of course. If you make Ragù Quasi Alla Bolognese, let me know! Drop a comment below or find me on the ‘gram!
Ragù Quasi Alla Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 cups olive oil
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 lbs yellow onion, finely chopped see note #1
- 3 medium carrots, finely chopped see note #1
- 2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped see note #1
- 2 sprigs thyme See note #3
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 5 medium cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced
- 1 bottle red wine, dry* minus a small taste that you must pour for yourself
- 4 cups beef or vegetable broth or stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 orange, zested
- 1/2 lemon, zested
- 1 2 inch piece of cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 28 oz petite diced tomatoes canned or fresh
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Pour about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large wide frying pan with high sides. (or a large pot, see note #2) Heat on medium high.
- Brown pork first and then beef in batches, about a pound at a time leaving enough room in the pan so the meat will brown instead of steam. Season with a little pepper only (no salt). Ensure each batch gets some brown caramelization on the outside of the meat. As the meat cooks, break into peanut sized pieces and continue to scrape the bottom of your pan to loosen brown bits. Set each batch aside after it's cooked in a large bowl. Add more oil if needed in between batches.
- At this point you will likely have accumulated some oil in the bottom of your pan. If not, add another tablespoon. Add your tomato paste and cook on medium heat until it turns about two shades darker. Be careful, it may splatter. Once tomato paste is a nice brick red, remove to the same bowl as the meat.
- Deglaze the pan with a little broth or wine, pour all of the liquid and brown bits over the reserved meat and tomato paste.
- Add about a half cup of olive oil to the pan over medium heat and then add your onion, carrot and celery. Add more olive oil, stirring as you go until vegetable mixture is well saturated, but not quite covered in oil, this will likely be about another cup of olive oil. Add thyme sprigs. Cook on medium heat, stirring every few minutes until mixture turns a caramel color.
- Transfer all cooked ingredients to a large dutch oven or pot. If pan has more brown bits stuck to it, deglaze again and pour into new pot. Add the garlic, wine, stock, cream, bay leaves, orange zest, lemon zest, cinnamon, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, oregano, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well and now turn heat on to medium high, bring to a boil and then immediately reduce heat to low.
- Let sauce simmer stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot. Taste after about two hours, adjust seasoning as needed. See note #4. Cook for an additional 30-60 minutes or until flavors are melded and sauce has reduced. During the last hour skim off fat from the top of the sauce. See note #5.
- Serve on top of your favorite pasta or egg noodle. Toss your noodles with butter and parmesan before adding sauce on top.
I had this for dinner just last week – absolutely delicious!