A monument of Italian cuisine! Ragù alla Bolognese , or Bolognese in English, first appeared at the end of the 18th century. Long before becoming a global classic, it was a local sauce, deeply rooted in the bourgeois cuisine of Bologna, structured around an aromatic trio — celery, onion, carrot (mirepoix in English) — and slow-cooked meat.

Over the centuries, the recipe has been enriched: pancetta, red or white wine, milk or cream to soften the acidity of the tomato, sometimes even a hint of nutmeg.

Essential ingredients

Base of the ragù

• Minced beef (or a mixture of beef + veal or pork),

• Fresh pancetta,

• Yellow onion,

• Carrot,

• Celery stalk,

• Olive oil or butter,

• Dry white (or red) wine

• Tomato paste

• Passata di pomodoro (or canned peeled tomatoes),

• A little milk (optional)

• Nutmeg (optional)

• Salt, pepper

Jack Meal Adaptation

Finely slice the onion, carrot and celery (the soffritto ).
Cut the pancetta into small cubes.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator 10 minutes before cooking.

In a casserole dish:

1. Heat the oil or butter.

2. Add onion, carrot and celery.

3. Let it “sweat” gently for 8–10 minutes, without excessive browning.
   
   

4. Add salt only at the end to prevent them from releasing too much water (advice from Italian experts).

5. Cook the meat separately. In a hot pan: Sear the pancetta. Add the minced meat and brown it until all the water has evaporated.

6. Mix the soffritto and the browned meat.

7. Deglaze and thicken the sauce. Add: the wine (let it reduce), the tomato paste, the passata, the nutmeg, salt & pepper.

8. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes.

9. Add the milk at this stage (if used).

10. When the sauce is boiling in the center, cover your casserole dish and remove from the heat. Place a tea towel in the bottom of the heat bag.

11. Place the closed casserole dish in the bag, put the lid on, and close it.

12. Simmer for 1 hour. Ideally 2 to 3 hours. Overnight if you wish.
    
    

Journal's Advice:

Adjustments before serving. If the sauce is too thin:
Simmer for 5 minutes. If it's too thick, add a little hot water or milk. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Contrary to the myth of “spaghetti bolognese”, traditional ragù is not served with spaghetti in Italy but rather with tagliatelle, pappardelle, or slipped between the layers of a lasagne alla Bolognese.