醬
Emilia-Romagna · Pasta

波隆那肉醬寬麵

Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese

The real Bologna version: meat-forward, not tomato-forward. A single cut of beef chuck browned hard, deglazed with white wine, and braised low and slow with just a spoon of tomato until it turns rich and glossy. No milk, no second meat, no garlic — and always on tagliatelle, never spaghetti. Finished in the pan with butter and Parmigiano so the sauce clings to every ribbon.

Serves2
Prep15 min
Cook2–3 hr
LevelMedium
材料Ingredients

The Ragùone meat, slow braise

  • Onion, finely diced½ medium
  • Carrot, finely diced½
  • Celery stalk, finely diced½
  • Extra-virgin olive oil1½ tbsp
  • Butter½ tbsp
  • Pancetta, finely chopped (optional)50 g
  • Ground beef chuck, ~20% fat250 g
  • Dry white wine75 ml
  • Tomato paste (or 100 g passata)1 tbsp
  • Beef stock, plus more as needed~200 ml
  • Nutmeg (optional)pinch
  • Salt & black pepperto taste

To Finishdon't skip the butter

  • Tagliatelle (fresh ideal, dried fine)175–200 g
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano, gratedto serve
  • Butterknob
  • Reserved pasta water~½ cup
做法Method
  1. Build the soffrittoHeat the olive oil and butter in a heavy pot over medium. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and sweet — don't let them brown hard. If using pancetta, add it now and render for about 3 minutes.
  2. Brown the beefAdd the beef, break it up, and raise the heat. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the meat genuinely browns and starts to sizzle. With no milk in this version, this browning is your main source of flavor — be patient and let it catch a little. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Deglaze with winePour in the white wine and simmer until it has evaporated, about 6–8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the nutmeg now if using.
  4. Tomato & braiseStir in the tomato paste, then add enough stock to barely cover the meat. Bring to a bare simmer, partially cover, and braise low and slow for 2–3 hours. Stir now and then and top up with a splash of stock or water whenever it looks dry — a smaller batch dries out a touch faster, so check often. It should finish rich, glossy, and barely soupy.
  5. Cook the tagliatelleBring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the tagliatelle to just shy of al dente — it finishes in the sauce. Before draining, reserve at least ½ cup of pasta water. Taste the ragù and adjust the salt.
  6. Marry & serveToss the drained pasta directly into the ragù over low heat with a knob of butter and a handful of Parmigiano. Loosen with pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce turns silky and clings to every ribbon, about 1 minute. Twirl into warm bowls and serve with more cheese.

A Note from the Kitchen

Skipping the milk is perfectly fine — you simply lose its silkiness and gentle tenderizing, which matters less with a single robust meat. To compensate, keep the braise gentle and well-lubricated: an aggressive boil will dry the beef out and turn it grainy, while a bare simmer under a loose lid keeps it tender for hours. Top up with stock or water the moment it looks dry.

With one meat and no pancetta you also lose a little savory depth, so make it back at the stove: brown the beef hard until it truly colors, and be generous with salt at the end. And serve it on tagliatelle, not spaghetti — the wide, porous ribbons hold a chunky meat sauce the way thin round strands never will. That pairing is the whole point of a Bolognese.