Entree: Italy – Emilia-Romagna – Ragù alla Bolognese with Macaroni (Bolognese meat sauce with pasta)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr 10 min

Total 1 hr 25 min

Ingredients

- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, about 8 oz (225 g), finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, about 6 oz (170 g), finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, about 3 oz (85 g), finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, about 9 g, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine (or additional beef broth)
- 1 (14 oz) can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp (34 g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) black pepper
- 12 oz (340 g) macaroni
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil (for pasta dressing)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently until very soft and translucent, about 10–12 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add ground beef, and brown thoroughly, breaking it into fine pieces.
3. Pour in white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and beef broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Towards the end of cooking, stir in milk and simmer 10 more minutes; season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook macaroni in salted boiling water until al dente; drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
6. Serve macaroni topped with generous spoonfuls of ragù; mix on plates or combine in the pot before serving.