RAGOUT

RECIPE FOR RAGOUT ADAPTED BY MILVIA

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 300 g ground or finely chopped lean beef
  • 100 g thinly sliced pancetta (not smoked), finely chopped (can be replaced by fat pork or pork sausage or eliminated and replaced by beef)
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 500g peeled tomato
  • A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

RECIPE PREPARATION

  • Heat oil in a large heavy (clay, cast iron or thick aluminium) pot over medium-high heat.
  • Add onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté until soft, 8-10 minutes.
  • Add pancetta and wait until it melts, raise fire and add one cup white wine and let it evaporate lower fire.
  • Add beef and sauté it, breaking up lumps, if any, with the back of a spoon, until browned, about 15 minutes.
  • Add one cup red wine; rise fire and boil up the time it evaporates stirring often and scraping up browned bits.
  • Add tomatoes and stir to blend. Reduce heat to very low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally for two hours. If it becomes too thick had hot water and continue to simmer. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

Boil the fettuccini in abundant briskly boiling salted water, after two minutes (more if the fettuccini are dried) taste if  they are ready, drain water but keep apart two cups of water. In a large earth ware bowl put some hot ragout, add the boiled fettuccini and other ragout, mix and add some of the hot water if too thick. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and serve immediately. In Bologna some pieces of butter are added.

Serve with red dry wine like Chianti or Merlot. In Bologna they drink Lambrusco.