--- title: "Ragù: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Ragù is a slow-cooked Italian meat sauce, such as ragù alla bolognese, served with pasta. See how long to simmer it and why milk and wine go in." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ragu" --- # Ragù Ragù is a slow-cooked Italian meat sauce, such as ragù alla bolognese, served with pasta. See how long to simmer it and why milk and wine go in. Also called Ragu, Bolognese, Ragù alla bolognese. Ragù is an Italian meat sauce cooked slowly for a long time. The best-known is _ragù alla bolognese_, made from [ground meat](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ground-meat), a little tomato, wine and milk. Southern Italian ragù often uses whole pieces of meat [braised](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/braise) in tomato sauce, then shredded or served as a second course. Ragù is thick and meaty, with more meat than tomato. ## How to do it These steps are for a Bolognese-style ragù. 1. Cook a finely chopped [soffritto](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soffritto) of onion, carrot and celery in olive oil and butter over low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. 2. Add about 500 g (1 lb) of ground beef and pork. Turn up the heat and cook, breaking it up, until it loses its raw color and starts to brown. 3. Pour in a glass of white or red wine and [deglaze](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/deglaze), scraping the pan. Let it bubble until nearly gone. 4. Add about 250 ml (1 cup) of milk and cook until it is absorbed. 5. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste or a small can of tomatoes, plus a little water or stock. 6. [Simmer](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer) very gently, [partially covered](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/partially-cover), for 2 to 3 hours. Add a splash of water if it gets dry. 7. Season and serve with fresh egg pasta such as tagliatelle. ## How to tell it is done The sauce is thick and glossy, with fat shining on top. The meat is very tender and the flavor is deep and rounded, not sharp from the tomato or wine. ## Common mistakes * Rushing it. Thirty minutes gives meat sauce, not ragù. * Too much tomato. It should taste of meat first. * Boiling it. A hard boil makes the meat tough and grainy. * Serving it on thin spaghetti. In Bologna it goes with wide, flat egg pasta or in lasagna. ## In recipes "Ragù" can mean any long-cooked meat sauce. Recipes also use it for duck, wild boar, sausage or mushroom versions. "Bolognese" outside Italy often means any ground meat and tomato sauce. Ragù keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and freezes well for about 3 months. ## Where it comes from The word comes from French _ragoût_, a stew. ## Ragù recipes 5 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Beef-and-Mushroom-Ragu-with-Spaghetti-Squash-1-6.jpg)Beef and Mushroom Ragu with Spaghetti Squashwww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/beef-and-mushroom-ragu-with-spaghetti-squash/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Pulled-Pork-Ragu-1.jpg)Italian Pulled Pork Ragu (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Stove)www.skinnytaste.com · 70 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/italian-pulled-pork-ragu-instant-pot-slow-cooker-stove/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Braised-Beef-Ragu-on-table-recipe-1.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Crockpot Braised Beef Ragu with Polentapinchofyum.com · 470 min](https://pinchofyum.com/crockpot-braised-beef-ragu-polenta) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Autumn-Penne-with-Brussels-Sprouts-in-a-Light-Ragu.jpg)Penne Pasta with Brussels Sprouts In a Raguwww.skinnytaste.com · 70 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/autumn-penne-pasta-with-sauteed/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Spaghetti-Squash-With-Meat-Sauce.jpg)Spaghetti Squash with Meat Raguwww.skinnytaste.com · 75 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/spaghetti-squash-with-meat-sauce-46-pts/) ## Related terms * [SoffrittoSoffritto is the Italian base of finely chopped onion, carrot and celery cooked slowly in olive oil. It starts ragù, minestrone, risotto and many braises.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soffritto) * [SimmerA simmer is liquid kept just below boiling, with small, gentle bubbles rising to the surface. It cooks soups, stews and sauces without toughening them.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer) * [DeglazeTo deglaze is to pour liquid into a hot pan and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom. Those bits become the flavor base of a quick pan sauce.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/deglaze) * [Ground meatGround meat is meat put through a grinder, used in burgers, meatballs and sauces. In the UK it is mince, in Sweden köttfärs. Cook it to 71°C (160°F).](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ground-meat) * [BraiseBraising browns meat, then cooks it slowly, covered, in a small amount of liquid until tough cuts turn tender and the liquid becomes a rich sauce.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/braise) * [Partially coverTo partially cover is to set the lid ajar on a pot so some steam escapes. It keeps a simmer steady and lets the liquid reduce slowly without boiling over.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/partially-cover) [More in dishes](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/dishes)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)