It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients (or a lot of money) to make a standout ragù alla Bolognese. What it does take is patience. For the meat sauce to achieve its ideal texture, it must cook low and slow—around 3 hours—on the stovetop. Luckily, most of that cooking time is hands-off.
Need some convincing? BA readers say: “I come back to this recipe every year as soon as the weather turns a little cold; it turns out perfectly every time. No notes!” And, “Don’t fiddle with the recipe. It’s perfect as written! I married into an Italian family—but I hold this up to anyone’s Bolognese!”
If you don’t do beef, sub in ground pork, dark meat turkey, or whatever ground meat you’ve got on hand. If using lean meat, be sure to compensate with a bit of extra fat, like a pat of butter or an extra glug of olive oil.
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What you’ll need
Eataly Italian Rigatoni Pasta
$15 $13 At Amazon
