Ragu alla bolognese
Ragu Alla Bolognese
Whilst no self-respecting Italian will ever admit to eating
“Spaghetti Bolognese”, they all have a favourite “ragu” of red
wine, tomatoes, mince and hours of long slow cooking. Delia
Smith's version is a real classic so I have adapted hers to my
own tastes and added some “umami paste” for a real savoury
kick. The recipe freezes brilliantly, so I really recommend making the full amount and freezing what you don’t need. The biggest challenge is waiting until it’s finished before diving in.
Ingredients
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 200g sliced pancetta, finely chopped
- 400g lean minced beef/lamb
- 500g minced pork
- 225g chicken livers
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 70g sun dried tomato paste
- 140g tomato puree
- 375ml red wine
- 3 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- 30g basil, finely chopped
- 60ml milk
- Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 140C. 2. Start by frying the soffritto (onion, garlic, celery and
carrot) in a little olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes. 3. Add the pancetta and cook for a further 5 minutes,
then add all of the ingredients to a large casserole. 4. Over a high heat, quickly brown the meat in batches
and add to the vegetables and pancetta. 5. Trim the chicken livers, wash and pat dry then chop as
finely as possible. These will add an intense depth of
flavour, but should be unidentifiable in the finished
sauce. 6. Brown the liver in a little more oil and add to the other
cooked ingredients. 7. Stir the tomato pastes into the casserole
and cook for a minute to remove their harsh flavour,
then add the remaining ingredients. 8. Bring to a simmer and place uncovered in the oven for
4hrs. 9. Once cooked, season again with salt and pepper and
serve with spaghetti or tagliatelli and shavings of
grated parmigiano reggiano.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 16 servings