Homemade Ragu
Print recipe
| Serves | 16 |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 3 hours |
| Total time | 3 hours, 15 minutes |
| Meal type | Main Dish |
| By author | The Ercolano Family -- Gabriella, Angela especially |
This ragu is a slow-cooked authentic recipe from the Ercolano Family and is served at Fattoria Pulcino -- their restaurant in Montepulciano (Tuscany).
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Medium carrots (finely chopped)
- 2 Medium onions (finely chopped)
- 2 celery stalks (finely chopped -- leaves and all!)
- 3 Lbs. ground veal or other lean beef (ground sirloin works really well!)
- 2 Large cans tomatoes (I prefer an Italian brand like San Marzano)
- ½ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 Cups dry red wine
- 2 Cups vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Note
Do yourself a favor and don't rush homemade ragu. Allowing the liquids to absorb/evaporate through the simmering process is well worth your patience! Although this sauce is delicious to eat the day it's made, Angela at Fattoria Pulcino clued us in on a little piece of interesting info -- they routinely make their sauce the day before they plan to serve it in the restaurant because it is even better the next day!
Another tip is to sample often and adjust salt. Start with about a tablespoon of kosher salt. That sounds like a lot, but when you add the other ingredients you may find you need to increase the salt.
ENJOY! - The Recipe Wench
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| In large saute pan, cook carrots, onions and celery with olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add ground meat, salt and pepper. I would start with about a tablespoon of kosher salt. Simmer over very low heat for approximately 1 hour, stirring often to keep from sticking. | |
| Step 2 | |
|
Add tomatoes and parsley. Admire how delicious the sauce looks and smells! Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat while slowly adding the red wine. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. |  |
| Step 3 | |
| Add vegetable broth and continue to cook down until most liquid has evaporated (approx. 45 minutes). Reduce to low and cook an additional 30 minutes. | |
