ByMary Woita
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This Traditional Italian Beef Ragu Recipe simmers slowly to give it tremendous flavor. It is sure to be a favorite weekend meal. Toss it with your favorite pasta and enjoy with a nice glass of wine.
This is a family favorite meal and it is another classic Italian dish that we like to make on a Sunday afternoon. The slow simmer allows the family time to spend together.
And it makes a great fall time cozy comforting meal.
What is the Difference Between a Ragu and a Bolognese?
I’d like to explain this a bit because they are similar sauces. However, there are some slight differences to each sauce.
A ragu is a meat based sauce with a little bit of tomato added to it. It also contains a combination of minced vegetables, such as, carrots, onions, and sometimes celery.
A ragu sauce also simmers slowly in red wine, beef broth, and usually has a little bit of heavy cream added towards the end to lighten the color.
Now, a bolognese is a variation of ragu — Ragu alla Bolognese. It uses a white wine and less tomatoes.
So really it comes down to slight variations.
What Pasta to Use with the Beef Ragu Recipe
Usually I serve a ragu sauce with spaghetti noodles. But feel free to pair this sauce with your favorite pasta noodle!
The general rule of thumb is to serve a thicker sauce with a wider noodle. A couple of varieties of wide pasta noodles are pappardelle and mafalde.
A ragu sauce also makes a great choice for a homemade lasagna.
Beef Ragu Recipe
This classically inspired Italian dish is the perfect comforting meal. Full of delicious flavors, it is sure to please any dinner guest! Simmer it slowly for a coupld of hours on a Sunday for the perfect Sunday family meal – Italian style! Or paired with a nice glass of wine.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
Serving Size 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped (approximately 1 cup)
- 2 large carrots chopped (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry wine
- 2 cups beef bone broth
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
Heat up olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and carrots. Sauté the carrots and onions together until the onions become translucent – just a few minutes.
Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir until fragrant. Just a minute or so – be careful not to burn the garlic because it becomes bitter.
Stir in the ground beef and brown completely. I would recommend a less greasy ground beef for this recipe. Otherwise, drain out the excess grease.
Once beef is cooked through, add in the salt and tomato paste and mix well.
Then add the wine and broth. Simmer on medium low for about 2 – 2 1/2 hours or until the broth has simmered down completely.
If the liquid evaporates too soon, you can also add in a little more broth or water.
When the sauce is finished cooking, stir in the heavy cream. The sauce should be thick and not runny like a traditional marinara.
Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions. Don’t forget to salt the pasta water!
Lay your cooked and drained pasta over a nice platter and pour the ragu sauce over top for a pretty presentation. Or you can mix the ragu sauce in with the pasta noodles.
Serve & enjoy!
Notes
This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated for another day. It is perfect for meal prep and freezes well, too.
You can use a semi sweet red wine for this sauce if you’d prefer a slight sweetness. My husband loves it and I will make the sauce with a lambrusco or other mildly sweet wine for him to enjoy.
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