I’d just learned to make Ragu Sauce in a tiny Tuscan hill town when I wrote this sentence in my journal: “I am skeptical about the recipes; they are so simple. But they mock me by being delicious!” We had just finished a cooking class and Giovanna was our teacher.
At Podera Vignale, a small farm and agriturismo in rural Tuscany, Giovanna taught us to make traditional Italian: Tiramisu, Cantucci, and Ragu sauce.
Keith and I spent nine weeks exploring Italy – 65 days to be exact. We began in Venice and ended in Rome. For us, the trip to Italy was long saved for and carefully planned. It satisfied our curiosity; it disappointed and delighted us. But, like you would imagine, it wasn’t the cities that we explored, like Florence and Rome, or even tiny, Tuscan towns like Civitella Marittima that made their way into our hearts. When we remember Italy, above all, we remember the wonderful people that we met along the way.
I want you to meet one of those people today, her name is Giovanna. Keith and I fell in love with her and with her father on two of the best, most memorable days of our trip.
First there was the cooking class with Giovanna, with gravity defying, dirt road adventures, hand-drawn fifty-eights to frighten flies, and mouth-watering recipes. You can read more about that here. The very next day we spent with Carlo, Giovanna’s father, zipping along rural Tuscan roads to organic vineyards and olive groves, with an emergency detour to the vet for a viper-bitten dog – again, more here.
Since then, Giovanna and I have kept in close contact and have become good friends. And she is graciously letting me share her recipe for authentic Italian Ragù. I asked Giovanna to share a little bit about her story so that you’ll feel like you know her. I loved what she wrote, so I’ll share it in her words:
I was born and grew up in Como. I started my biology degree at the university of Milan, but at a certain point decided to travel and have some other experiences. So I went to San Francisco to work in a marine biology rescue center, then on to Puglia, south of Italy, to do my final project or thesis for my biology degree. There I was studying a lone, sociable dolphin.
In Puglia I met my future husband and fell in love with him and in 2001 followed him to Tuscany. In that time, my father was opening the farmhouse so I decided to help him for a while, but then it became my job – forgetting about my studies and my university … I’ve lost the pleasure to study, I thought it was for nothing … bad mistake !!!
in 2006 i got married and in 2007 Marco was born. With the baby I could not work full time at the farmhouse, staying so far from my husband so I moved to Livorno. Together we looked for a house. We found a lovely house in Fauglia (Pisa) that we bought and it’s where we are living now. This house, my sweet home now, became my little nest and now it’s where I can think about my projects; where I can test recipes and write my blog; and where I often leave to go to Podere Vignali.
I love my life in Fauglia, that it’s in the province of Pisa but 20km from Livorno. I’ve met nice people and new friends. With 2 moms we started to walk around Pisa to discover new places and have a lot of fun. My life is now divided between Fauglia where I can have my “everyday” normal but nice routine, and Podere Vignali where I’m very happy to meet people from other countries and makes new friends, like you Marissa.
When you read this recipe for Ragu sauce, resist the first impression that it’s too simple, that the flavor will be bland – my first thoughts and oh, so wrong. (The same goes for this Bolognese Sauce, Bucatini all’Amatriciana, Pasta Aglio e Olio and Cheesy Italian Meatballs too.) When you make it, resist the urge to add more flavors such as pepper or herbs. I promise that you’ll be rewarded with a complex, even magic, pasta sauce.
How to Make Ragu Sauce
Step 1: Cook onion, carrot and celery in olive oil until onion is translucent.
Step 2: Add ground beef and cook and stir until browned.
Step 3: Stir in red wine and a pinch of salt; let simmer until the wine has evaporated.
Step 4: Stir in tomato sauce; cover and let simmer on low for one hour, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Serve tossed with a broad, flat pasta like tagliatelle cooked according to package directions. Top with
Ragu Sauce Recipe Video
Ragu Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely chopped
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- pinch fine sea salt
- 5 ounces red wine
- coarse salt
- 16 ounces tagliatelle or other broad, flat pasta
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano for serving, optional
- minced Italian parsley for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook and stir until the onion becomes translucent. Add ground beef, cook and stir until browned.
- Add a pinch of salt and red wine, stir, and let it evaporate. When all the liquid is gone, add tomato sauce, stir, season with coarse salt to taste. Cover and let simmer very slow at low heat for an hour or a little more. Stir the sauce occasionally to ensure that it's not beginning to stick on the bottom.
- Serve tossed with broad, flat pasta – such as tagliatelle – cooked according to package directions. Top with Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley if desired.
Notes
- If you like a saucier pasta, use the sauce to serve 4 and reduce the amount of pasta to 8 to 12 ounces.
- A note from Giovanna: “Remember you have to follow slowly all the steps, never be in a hurry… about a couple of hours to prepare it!”
I love ragu and if I spot it on the menu in a restaurant, that’s it – I know what I’m ordering! And I love recipes that you cook low and slow, no rush, and just wait for those wonderful flavour to develop and blend. I need to make this at home I think! Thanks for sharing the lovely story too, I loved Giovanna’s words.
A fellow ragu lover! It always catches my eye on menus too! Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Katerina.
Marissa, your trip to Italy sounds absolutely wonderful! What a dream vacation! This pasta with ragu sauce looks so fantastic. Comfort food at its finest!
Thanks so much, Kelly. It was such a great trip! And, I agree, ragu is my kind of comfort food!
Thank you Marissa for this lovely post, I miss you a lot!!!!! I hope to be able to come to visit you next year , I have a lot of recipes we can try together !!!! 😘
aww…sweet friend! I miss you too!! Please, please do come visit!
I am always looking for quick, easy, few ingredient, and enticing recipes. I try to have just 7 main recipes i can play around with during the work week and this one made that list. This is absolutely fantastic as is but adding meatballs, broccoli or your favorite chicken(breaded, baked or stuffed with cheese!) can really mix it up. I like cupcake pinot noir or something light to add to this sauce. I had never added wine before and this was a game changer. Mushrooms can be added with garlic to make this sauce really pop. It is a very chunky recipe so no worries about adding a little moisture to the mix. Adding a little heavy cream to the sauce for the one hour simmer can turn it into more of a creamy sauce(vodka sauce) for those who shy away from straight tomato bases.. The broad noodles are a must. Fettuccine noodles work ok to provide a base to the meat and sauce since the wider ones are harder to find.
P.S. I love most of the recipes on your site Marissa. I think we have twin pallets!
Thanks for your kind words, Steven! Glad you’re enjoying this one!
Sauce was amazing!! Very tasty and I never made Ragu before but this recipe is for keeps now! Can’t wait to make it again!
I’m so glad to hear it, Erica! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
I had my first ragu in an international flight and fell in love with it. Would love to give your recipe a try. thanks for sharing
Thank you! I hope you love it!
Fabulous dish and even better memories! What a fantastic trip and to learn from only the best to make the best, amazing story!
Thank you my friend!
What type of red wine. Should I use a cooking wine
Hi Norma! I don’t recommend a cooking wine as they often have a lot of added salt. The red wine doesn’t need to be expensive, but should be good enough that you’d enjoy drinking it straight. 🙂
9 weeks exploring Italy sounds amazing. As for this authentic ragu sauce, I love it. Simple and original is always best. Definitely going to try this.
So glad you’re going to give it a try, Neil!
There is nothing more satisfying, especially on a cool rainy evening than a big bowl of pasta with a great ragu on it. What a lovely recipe, pinning for dinner next week!
So true! Thanks, Matt. Excited for you tor try it!
Your time in Italy sounds dreamy. I think one of the best parts about traveling to other countries is connecting with locals. So great you’ve kept your friendships. And this sauce. Yum! (I’m loving that particular pasta in your photos, too. The texture looks delicious, as it collects the sauce in its grooves. 🙂 ~Valentina
Well said, Valentina. Connecting with locals truly is one of the best parts of travel. I love that you noticed the texture of the tagliatelle! Those ridges really do hold on to the sauce!
Marissa, when I saw this on Instagram I added a mental note to myself to add this to my weekly meal plan. It looks so good, and you had me at your opening sentence of learning about this in Tuscany!! I have all the romantic feels about this one!
aww, thanks Katherine! I hope you and your family will enjoy it!
Learning to cook Italian food in Italy?! Dream come true!! That must have been such a wonderful experience!! This ragu looks heavenly!!! The perfect cozy meal for fall and winter!!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne! It really was a wonderful experience. And cheers to cozy meals in fall and winter!
We absolutely love agrotourism! Eating and drinking our way through a country is how we roll when it comes to vacations. And when that country is Italy? Well, now you’ve just taken agrotourism to the best possible spot! Giovanna sounds like a wonderful person and chef, and I know I would enjoy sitting back and learning from her. I’m hopping over to her website next!
This ragu is my kind of dish, and it definitely deserves a place on our menu here soon. I love that quote from your journal, too! So true. 🙂
Thank you! We’re kindred spirits, David. That’s how we roll on vacations too. You and Laura would just love Giovanna! She really is wonderful.
65 days in Italy? What a dream! And this ragu sauce? Just straight up heavenly! Nothing like a good bowl of pasta with a comforting, hearty sauce. Looks SO good, my friend 🙂
Thanks so much, Dawn! Pure comfort food for sure. 🙂
9 weeks in Italy? That sounds like a fantastic trip! Also, this pasta looks beyond fantastic, so rich and delicious. I know that some authentic recipes suggest to cook ragu for hours…and I’ve heard some Italian grandmas can cook it up to 10 hours. Can you imagine that? I’ve only had patience to cook it for 3 hours once, but even 1 hour is sufficient for an excellent result!
Thanks, Ben! And 10 hours??..wow! That’s dedication! 😉
Simplicity at its finest and best! This proves again that good food doesn’t have to be complicated. I love the recipe and can’t wait to try it for our pasta night!
Sounds like such a wonderful trip for you and Keith Marissa! And what a delicious ragu sauce. The best kind of comfort food in my book! Pinned!
Recently visited Venice, Florence and Rome. Ragu is much different in the 3 cities. We prefer the Venice version. Not saucy (the tomato saucy version found in Rome reminds us of the US version.). By chance have a recipe for authentic Venice ragu? Grazie.
Hi Joe! We loved Venice, but I don’t think we had ragu there, so I can’t say that I have an ‘authentic’ recipe for it. But, if you like your ragu more meaty and less saucy, I’d give this Lamb Ragu a try, using beef and/or pork if you like. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe last night. I have a big family so I had to double it. I made homemade egg noodles with it. The only thing different I did was since I had to double it, I used 1lb ground beef, and 1lb ground pork. It was delicious, and the family loved it! Thank you for this recipe
That’s wonderful, Lance! Thank you for coming back to let me know!!
Oh Marissa, this post is fantastic! How on earth did I miss it! I simply adore Italy. And now I find that you have another blog, which I will read post by post, and I want to go cook with Giovanna and just go to Italy, like right now! The ragu is exactly like it should be, the kind of sauce I grew up with. I will make it asap. wonderful!
Paula, you’d love Giovanna and she would love you!
Oh gosh… I sure would love to make this. And there is really no reason I cannot! You have always been one of my favorite chefs… and any recipe you recommend, I don’t even feel I need to try it before I love it!
P.S. What a charming story too… I really need to catch-up on your adventures, my friend 🙂
Jenny! Come for a visit and we’ll whip it up together. Miss you!
oh what a fun “swap” and incredible experience! I LOVE hearing about this!
Thank you!
Italian people are so warm aren’t they! I went there for the first time this year and utterly charmed us all! You’re right that it’s the people that you remember 🙂
True – there’s something really special about Italian culture.
The ragu dish looks really good! And there is nothing wrong with simple, sometimes those are the best recipes!
I agree!