Farfalle Pasta with Ragu Bolognese Sauce
Farfalle al Ragu Bolognese
Making a Ragu Bolognese Sauce the long way
A good Ragu Bolognese Sauce needs to be thick — it's a meat sauce before it's a tomato sauce. We use different kinds of meat to add different textures and flavors to the sauce. For this recipe, I used 3 different meat cuts:- Minced ribs for the tender texture and great aroma.
- Pieces of osso buco with the bone — this meat gets very tender with long cooking, and the bone adds gelatin that thickens the sauce. The meat will fall right off the bone, so just fish the bones out after cooking — they've done their part.
- Chicken livers (yes, you heard that right) — chicken livers are a great flavor enhancer and a sauce-thickening agent. You can blitz them in a food processor so you won't feel any pieces, but I actually like to chop them roughly into small bites so you'll come across these little flavor bombs in the dish. It'll make you think... mmmm... I wonder what that was.
Cooking it? Oven-baking it? Ragu Bolognese Sauce can handle it all
There are no shortcuts. Ragu Bolognese Sauce needs time and low heat for the tomatoes and meat to fully incorporate and for the liquids — in this recipe that's the chicken stock and tomatoes — to be absorbed into the meat and build those deep, full flavors. I decided I didn't want to choose between cooking the sauce on the stove and baking it in the oven, so I use both methods. Start by bringing the sauce together on the stove for 1 hour, then move the Dutch oven into the oven and bake it uncovered on low heat for about 4 hours. This makes sure the meat gets a nice golden-brown color and that enough liquid evaporates so you end up with a really thick sauce.
Method
- 1
cooking the minced meat· 20 minutes
Set a bit Iron skillet over high heat. Add the onions and olive oil, mix for 5 minutes until transparent. Toss the celery and the carrots and mix for another 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced meat and gently break it apart for 3-5 minutes. Pour the soy and fish sauce and continue mixing for another 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, season with salt and pepper and mix for another 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- 2
Searing the Osso Buco· 7 minutes
Place a Dutch oven (same one we will make the sauce in) on high heat. Flour the Osso Buco and shake to lose excess flour. Sear the steaks 1 minute on each side and set aside
- 3
making the sauce· 1 hour
In the same Dutch oven, throw the chicken livers for a quick browning, not more than one minute, add the wine and cook for another 30 seconds. I'm using canned tomatoes, pour them into the Dutch oven followed by the tomato paste and mix for 5 minutes (if using fresh tomatoes make sure you peel them before adding to the pot). Pour the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and bring into a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low, add the thyme and garlic, cook with the lid on for 30 minutes.
- 4
cook the meat with the sauce· 30 minutes
Place the Osso buco steaks into the sauce. Add the minced meat mix into the Dutch oven as well, stir and keep cooking for another 30 minutes.
- 5
bake the Ragu· 4 hours
Preheat the oven into 130°c/ 260°F. remove the sauce from the stove and place in the oven. bake for 4 hours with the lid off, from time to time skim the excess fat from the top of the Ragu.
- 6
finishing steps and serving time· 10 minutes
Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions. Strain the pasta and place one serving size on a plate. Pour a good portion of the Ragu Bolognese Sauce and mix with the pasta. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with basil leaves. Grate parmesan on the dish and serve.
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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