Description
Tuscan Ragu is a rich, savory, slow-cooked meat sauce from Tuscany, made with ground beef, sausage, vegetables, and aromatic herbs. It pairs wonderfully with pasta for a comforting and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
1–2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig rosemary, leaves only
900g (2 lbs) ground beef
450g (1 lb) sausage (casing removed)
250ml (1 cup) vegetable broth or apple juice
400g (14oz) canned chopped tomatoes
500ml (17½ oz) tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
Salt, to taste
½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Sofritto: In a large, deep frying pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and rosemary leaves. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes until the vegetables soften but don’t color.
- Brown the Meat: Add the ground beef and sausage to the pan. Break up the meat with a spatula and cook until browned and no longer pink.
- Deglaze with Broth or Apple Juice: Pour in the vegetable broth or apple juice and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, allowing it to reduce slightly.
- Add Tomatoes: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato passata, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Simmer the Ragu: Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let the ragu simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of water to loosen it up.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Serve the ragu over pasta and enjoy!
Notes
Storage: Store any leftover ragu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the ragu for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container.
Reheating: Reheat the ragu on the stovetop over low heat, adding a bit of water or broth to adjust the consistency if needed. Alternatively, you can microwave individual portions until heated through.
Vegetarian Version: Substitute the ground beef and sausage with plant-based meat alternatives or lentils. Add more vegetables for texture.
Spicy Ragu: Add red pepper flakes or chopped fresh chili peppers for heat.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1.5 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
