Ragu Bolognese

On October 17, 1982, the Bolognese chapter of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, “after having carried out long and laborious investigations and conducted studies and research”, announced the following recipe to be the official one. I’m sure that every family in Emilia Romagna has their own version though. Serves 4.

400 grams fresh tagliatelle or fettucine 300 grams minced beef – The recommended cut is thin flank aka skirt (finta cartella in Italian) but any good quality mince will do.

• 150 grams unsmoked pancetta — minced very finely
• 50 grams carrot — finely chopped or minced
• 50 grams celery — finely chopped or minced
• 50 grams onion — finely chopped or minced
• 30 grams triple concentrated tomato puree(if using double concentrated, increase the quantity by about a third)
• 1/2 glass red or white wine
• 180 ml fresh milk
olive oil salt and pepper

Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil until it starts to release its fat. Be careful not to burn. Add the vegetables and fry until the onions are transparent, stirring from time to time. Add the beef and cook until it is lightly browned. When it starts to make popping noises, it’s done. Add the tomato puree and the wine and mix well. Add the milk, little by little until it is completely absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. Stir occasionally and if it looks like drying out, add a little more milk. Serve with Fettuccine or Tagliatelle. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side. Alternatively toss the pasta first in a little butter and then in Parmesan before adding the meat sauce. Variation: The Academy allows the addition of Porcini mushrooms.

The Classic Bolognese Ragù according the Accademia Italiana della Cucina

Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese: the dictionary

The Ragù according to the Simili Sisters