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Authentic Ragù Bolognese Recipe

Name: Authentic Ragù Bolognese Recipe
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 45 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 7 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 150g fresh unsmoked pancetta, finely chopped; 165g onion, finely chopped; 165g carrot, finely chopped; 165g celery, finely chopped; 1kg minced beef; 375ml red or white wine; 3 Tbsp double-concentrated tomato purée; 700g good quality Italian passata; 250ml whole milk; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

This is the authentic Italian Ragù alla Bolognese recipe from Bologna, Italy, prepared according to the official guidelines of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, guardians of traditional Italian culinary heritage.

italian pasta beef sauce ragu bolognese traditional slow

Print Recipe

This recipe is for the purists as it is the authentic Italian Ragù alla Bolognese recipe, just like Mumma used to make. It is the authentic Bolognese recipe from Bologna, Italy, following the strict ingredients and method stated by the official rules of 'Accademia Italiana Della Cucina', the guardians of the official recipe of Ragù alla Bolognese.

To stay true to tradition, do not add any ingredients not listed in this recipe. That means no herbs, spices, garlic, or thickening agents, none of these are used in the official version.

It is surprisingly simple to make; you just need time to chop the vegetables. I'm using 1kg of ground beef to make enough for several meals, as I like to batch cook and freeze portions for later. You can also use a mixture of beef and pork which is a common variation in Bologna and gives a richer flavour. This recipe is enough to feed two with eight meals, i.e. sixteen servings. You can adjust the recipe for your needs, so if you want dinner for 8 people, you can half the ingredients.

I also use this bolognese ragù as the base for my homemade lasagne, which I’ll be sharing in a future post.

💡 Traditionally in Itally, Bolognese is served with tagliatelle not spaghetti, as the ragu sauce holds on to tagliatelle well.

Finely chopped carrot, celery and onion beside the whole vegetables

Jar of Italian tomato passata for making Ragù Bolognese

Prep

45 mins

Cook

3-4 hrs

Serves

Ingredients

7 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
150g fresh unsmoked pancetta, finely chopped
165g onion, finely chopped
165g carrot, finely chopped
165g celery, finely chopped
1kg minced beef
375ml red or white wine
3 Tbsp double-concentrated tomato purée
700g good quality Italian passata
250ml whole milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

01
Add the olive oil to a large cooking pot on medium heat.
02
Add the chopped pancetta and cook for about 5 minutes.
03
Add the carrots, celery and onion and sauté for 10 minutes until soft but not browned.
04
Add the minced beef and cook until the until the meat is browned. Break down the lumps in the minced beef as you cook.
05
Add the wine and simmer to evaporate the alcohol.
06
Add the tomato puree to the minced beef and vegetable mix.
07
Add the tomato passata and stir into the meat and vegetables.
08
Cover the cooking pot and simmer for 3 hours, preferably more.
09
Add the milk about halfway through cooking.
10
Add salt and pepper to taste at the end of cooking.