Spaghetti bolognese
Spaghetti bolognese — a home-style version of pasta with slowly simmered meat ragù. The beef and pork are sautéed with finely chopped vegetables in a tomato sauce until tender; the milk softens the flavor, and part of the ragù is combined with the pasta before serving.
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Finely chop the vegetables
Chop the onion, carrot, and celery into cubes about 5 mm. Heat the oil in a wide pan with thick bottom over medium heat, add the vegetables and cook for 10 minutes until soft without strong browning.
Sauté the meat
Add the beef and pork mince, breaking up large clumps with a spatula. Cook for 10–12 minutes until the meat changes colour and excess liquid evaporates. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring from the base, for 2 minutes.
Deglaze with wine
Pour in the white wine, scrape up any browned meat particles from the bottom and simmer for 3–4 minutes until noticeably reduced. Do not cover the pan at this stage: excess liquid should evaporate rather than remain in the ragù.
Simmer the ragù
Add the passata, stock, milk, 6 g salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook with the lid slightly ajar for 80–90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The ragù should be thick, with tender, fully cooked meat.
Cook the pasta
In a separate pot with water and remaining 4 g salt, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve a cup of starchy cooking water before draining. The ragù should not have a layer of watery liquid on top when cooked.
Combine and serve
Transfer the pasta to a wide pan, add most of the ragù and a little reserved cooking water to help it toss easily. Heat for 1 minute. Divide between plates and add the remaining ragù and finely grated Parmesan; serve hot.
Little hint
For a rich ragù, it’s more important to have slow simmering than a large amount of tomato paste. To prevent sticking, stir regularly; if the liquid evaporates too quickly, add a little hot water.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
For a rich ragù, it’s more important to have slow simmering than a large amount of tomato paste. To prevent sticking, stir regularly; if the liquid evaporates too quickly, add a little hot water.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Chop the onion, carrot, and celery into cubes about 5 mm. Heat the oil in a wide pan with thick bottom over medium heat, add the vegetables and cook for 10 minutes until soft without strong browning.
