Daddy's Ragù alla Bolognese

Daddy's Ragù alla Bolognese

Daddy’s Ragù alla Bolognese is a deeply layered, slow-built sauce rooted in tradition but shaped by experience. It takes the foundation I learned from my mother and refines it with a few intentional tweaks—drawing from time spent close to Italian-American kitchens—resulting in something richer, meatier, and more personal without losing its sense of origin.

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Category: SIMMER

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Main Course

Keyword: Bolognese, Pasta, Ragù, Sauce

Prep: 30

Cook: 45

Simmer Time: 2

Total: 3 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 455kcal

Author: TastyDaddy

Equipment

Ingredients

Spices & Seasonings

½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper (ground)
½ tsp onion powder
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 dash nutmeg
1 tbsp garlic (minced)
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves (in spice infuser or tied bundle)
4 whole basil leaves (chiffonade)
2 whole bay leaves

Meat

1 lb ground beef (90/10 or 93/7)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage (ground)

Optional

2 cups portobello mushrooms (optional) (minced)

Soffritto

1 med yellow onion (diced)
1½ cups celery (chopped)
1½ cups carrots (diced)

Sauce

1 tbsp anchovy paste (or fish sauce)
1 cup Sauvignon Blanc (or any dry white wine)
24 oz passata
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 whole plum tomatoes (seeded, diced)
1 cup beef stock
½ cup half and half

Instructions

Wash & Prep the Vegetables

Peel (make sure to remove the tough outer layer), wash, and dry 1 med yellow onion; using your chef knife, dice the onion; set aside in small bowl.
Wash, trim and dry the celery stalks; chop until you have 1½ cups celery; set aside in a small bowl.
Wash, trim, and peel carrots; give them a final rinse and dry them; dice until you have 1½ cups carrots; set aside in a small bowl.
Wash, dry, and trim the ends off 2 whole plum tomatoes; remove seeds and dice; set aside in small bowl.
Wash and dry 4 whole basil leaves; stack leaves and roll tightly; take your chef knife and cut into ribbons (chiffonade); set aside.
If including, thoroughly wash and dry portobello mushrooms; mince until you have enough to fill 2 cups.

Brown the Sausage

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook 1 lb sweet Italian sausage until browned and lightly caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Cook the Mushrooms (optional)

If using mushrooms, add them to the sausage fat and cook until their moisture has released and reduced, and they begin to brown.
Transfer to the bowl with the sausage.

Build the Soffritto

Add onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook over medium heat until softened and lightly golden, about 8–10 minutes.
Transfer to the bowl with the sausage and mushrooms.

Brown & Season the Beef

Add 1 lb ground beef to the pot. As it begins to cook, season directly in the pan with:
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 dash nutmeg
Break the meat apart and allow it to brown, developing color rather than steaming.
Transfer to the bowl with the sausage, vegetables, and mushrooms.Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.

Infuse the Stock

In a small saucepan, bring the 1 cup beef stock to a light simmer with 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves (placed inside a spice infuser ball). Remove from heat and let steep while continuing the recipe.

Build the Base & Deglaze

Add 1 tbsp garlic (minced) to the remaining fat and cook over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
Stir in 1 tbsp anchovy paste until dissolved.
Add 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc and deglaze the pan, scraping up any fond from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half.

Simmer the Sauce

Return all reserved ingredients (sausage, mushrooms, vegetables, beef) to the Dutch oven and stir to combine.
Remove thyme from beef stock.
Add the following to the Dutch oven:
- 24 oz passata
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- diced tomatoes
- infused beef stock
- 2 whole bay leaves
Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce should gradually thicken and develop a cohesive texture.

Finish

Once the sauce has finished simmering, remove bay leaves. Stir in ½ cup half and half until fully incorporated, then add basil.

Nutrition