Hearty Homemade Ragu
There’s nothing quite like a pot of slow-simmered ragu to gather everyone around the table. Rich, meaty, and packed with flavor, this Italian-inspired sauce is one of my family’s favorites. It is also a great meal to share with someone who needs a little extra love.
Why we love Ragu
This recipe has been adapted from a recipe my son learned to make from a friend who is Italian. When Luke was living at home again for a bit, he would make us this hearty, thick sauce for dinner. It was always such a treat! Now that he is on his own, he is still making it for himself. He will freeze half and then eat the other half for a few days. When I make this recipe, I often make a double batch and freeze half to share later. This homemade ragu sauce is a simple, satisfying recipe that belongs in every home cook’s rotation. It comes together with basic pantry ingredients and simmers to perfection in two hours, filling your kitchen with the kind of aroma that makes people linger around the stove top, taking turns stirring and giving it a taste to make sure it’s just right.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy to make: No fancy ingredients- just classic flavor.
- Family friendly: This is a dinner everyone will eat, and go back for seconds.
- Perfect for meal prep: Freezes beautifully for future dinners or to gift to someone else.
- Versatile: Serve it with pasta, polenta, over thick toasted sourdough, or use in lasagna.
Gather these ingredients
Instructions for making Ragu
- Prepare all the vegetables, chopping them up small.
- In a large pot, add olive oil and pancetta, and fry up until pancetta starts to crisp up and render the fat.
- Add carrots, celery, and onion. Saute until vegetables soften, 10 minutes or so.
- Add ground beef, sausage, and chop with a wooden spoon until all meat is browned.
- Add one cup of dry red wine.
- Add jar of passata / tomato sauce to the pot. Add a bit of water to the jar, shake to get all the sauce, and add to the pot. Stir, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and let simmer for one to two hours. Stirring every 20-30 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Cook ziti noodles al dente, drain, and add them to the sauce. Stir to combine.
Tips & Variations
- Simmer low and slow: For the richest flavor, let your hommade meat sauce simmer for at least an hour. This develops the deep complex taste that makes this the best ragu for pasta lovers.
- Use a blend of meats: A combination of lean ground beef and Italian sausage adds savory complexity and heartiness – perfect for traditional ragu.
- Tomato sauce is key: Don’t skimp on this ingredient! I use DeLallo Classic Rich Tomato Puree / Sauce. If you cannot find this use a good quality tomato puree from another brand. Third options would be to use a small can of tomato paste with 24 ounces of tomato sauce. The better quality ingredients adds depth and a rich umami flavor to y our Italian – style meat sauce.
- Deglaze: When adding the dry red wine make sure to scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom of pan, this is flavor that we want to make sure gets into our sauce.
- Wine alternative: Beef stock or beef broth can be used to replace the red wine.
- Season well and taste often: Good seasoning is essential to a flavorful pasta sauce recipe. Don’t forget to taste your pasta sauce each time you stir it. Add a pinch of salt, or a bit of sugar if you feel it needs it. Add the red pepper flakes if you would like a pop of spice. The key to a great sauce is tasting it throughout the cooking process.
- Creamy ragu variation: Finish your sauce with a splash or crram or a spoonful of mascarpone cheese for a creamy meat sauce.
- Make it freezer-ready: This is the ultimate freezer-friendly pasta sauce. Let it cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container or containers if you would like to portion it out. This sauce keeps well for up to 3 months in the freezer.
I would love to hear from you! If you love this sauce, please take a moment to rate this recipe in the recipe card below. Leave me a comment below. Enjoy, Sheila
Homemade Ragu
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta diced small
- 1 cup diced carrot approximately 1 large carrot
- 1 cup diced celery dice very small
- 1 cup diced onion dice very small
- 3 whole garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb lean ground beef at least 90% lean
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 cups dry red wine
- 24 ounces tomato passata a really good tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Prep and chop all vegetables small, and mince garlic.
- Add olive oil and pancetta to a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until pancetta starts to brown and render fat.
- Add carrots, celery, and onions; saute for 10 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes before adding meat.
- Add ground beef and Italian sausage, chop up and brown the meat.
- Add red wine allow a few minutes to come to a low boil.
- Add passata, stir. Rinse out the jar with a bit of water and add to the pot.
- Bring sauce to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes if you choose. Turn down to low. Cook for an additional 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Cook one pound of ziti per box instructions, drain, and add to sauce. Serve with grated parmesan and crusty bread.
