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AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Tagliatelle al Ragù(Ragù alla bolognese)Tagliatelle with Ragù alla Bolognese

Tagliatelle with Ragù alla Bolognese
Difficulty★★★★☆ Prep0 min Cook1 hr 3 min Rest1 hr 40 min servings4

The authentic version of the dish known in Japan as Bolognese. Fresh tagliatelle and ground-beef ragù are inseparable partners; serving the sauce with spaghetti is considered unacceptable in its hometown.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

AUTHENTICITY SCORE

Authenticity Score

This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Tipo 00 flour (or bread flour)For handmade fresh tagliatelle.300 g
  • Eggs (room temperature)For fresh tagliatelle.3 whole
  • Mixed ground meat (60% beef, 40% pork)400 g
  • Fresh pork bellyFinely chop. The 2023 version specifies fresh pork belly as standard; cured pancetta may also be used.150 g
  • OnionFinely chop.60 g
  • CarrotFinely chop.60 g
  • CeleryFinely chop.60 g
  • Extra virgin olive oilThe 2023 version uses only extra virgin olive oil, without butter.45 ml
  • Red or white wine150 ml
  • Passata (sieved tomatoes)This is meat sauce with tomato, rather than tomato sauce with meat. The tomato quantity plays a supporting role to the meat.200 g
  • Double-concentrated tomato paste1 tablespoon. Adds depth alongside the passata.15 g
  • Beef stockUse as needed when the liquid reduces during simmering. Vegetable stock or bouillon may also be used.200 ml
  • Parmigiano Reggiano50 g

Method

110 min

Prepare the ingredients

  • 1 Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery, about 60g each.
  • 2 Finely chop the fresh pork belly or pancetta.
2

Sauté the soffritto

  • 1 Sauté the pork belly in 45ml extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
  • 2 Add the onion, carrot and celery and sprinkle with a little salt.
  • 3 Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes until the vegetables soften and develop sweetness.
38 min

Brown the meat

  • 1 Add the ground meat, either all beef or a blend of 60% beef and 40% pork, and cook over high heat, breaking it up.
  • 2 When it loses its pink color and turns brown, add 150ml wine and cook off the alcohol, about 2 minutes.
41 hr 40 min

Make the sauce

  • 1 Stir in 200g passata and 15g concentrated tomato paste, cover and simmer over low heat for 90–120 minutes.
  • 2 Add beef stock as needed if the liquid runs low during cooking.

Caution

Too much tomato takes the sauce away from its authentic flavor. Use it sparingly to support the meat rather than as the main ingredient.

540 min

Make the tagliatelle dough

  • 1 While the ragù simmers, mix 300g tipo 00 flour with 3 eggs to form a smooth dough, wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
  • 2 MeanwhileStart bringing a large pot of water to a boil.

Tips

Reference: “Handmade Pasta Basics” series.

6

Cut the tagliatelle

  • 1 Roll the rested dough thinly and cut into strips 6–8mm wide to make tagliatelle.
73 min

Cook the pasta

  • 1 Add the tagliatelle to the prepared boiling salted water and cook until al dente.
8

Toss with the ragù

  • 1 Once cooked, toss the pasta with the ragù.
91 min

Finish

  • 1 Arrange on plates and sprinkle with Parmigiano.
A view of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna
Bologna, Emilia-RomagnaItaly Photo: Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

Tagliatelle al ragù is Bologna’s signature dish and the original form of the meat sauce known around the world as Bolognese. However, a dish called “spaghetti Bolognese” does not exist in Bologna. At its source, ragù is always served with broad ribbons of fresh tagliatelle.

In 1982, the Bologna delegation of the Italian Academy of Cuisine registered an official recipe before a notary. Even the width of tagliatelle is specified: once cooked, it should equal 1/12270 of the height of Bologna’s symbolic Arginentaria Tower, at 97.7 meters—approximately 8 millimeters. In April 2023, the Academy updated the registered recipe following research by a specialist committee. Principal changes included increasing the ground beef from 300g to 400g, introducing passata and adopting fresh pork belly. The principle that ragù is meat sauce with tomato, rather than tomato sauce with meat, was set out explicitly.

A mixture of ground beef and pork, soffritto of onion, carrot and celery, wine and passata is simmered over low heat for at least 3 hours, ideally 4–5 hours.

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