Ragù Bianco (White Bolognese Sauce) Pasta
Ragù bianco is a deeply satisfying, authentic Italian white ragù Bolognese pasta sauce with all the richness and flavor of traditional meaty Bolognese, but without tomato.
Servings: 4 to 6 people
Calories: 1076kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped
- 1 stalk celery, rough chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and rough chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds beef/pork/veal blend (if you prefer no veal, use 1 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground pork)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 2 dozen turns fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock (added in stages)
- 1 cup whole milk (added in stages)
- 1 pound dried pasta, such as pappardelle, tagliatelle, or rigatoni (fusilli or spaghetti could also work)
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to serve
Instructions
- Place the chopped onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. This is your soffritto.PRO TIP: If you don't want to use the food processor, you can leave the vegetables whole and grate using the large grates of a box grater, or finely dice everything by hand.
- Heat a wide-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders, about 5 minutes. Add the soffritto. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes more. Spoon the soffrito and pancetta into a bowl and set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef mix to the skillet and cook, breaking up the meat as much as you can, until browned.PRO TIP: Use the higher heat and do not stir too often. You want the meat to brown a bit. This adds a necessary element of flavor.
- Stir in the white wine. When the white wine has evaporated, lower the heat back to medium low.
- Add the soffritto, garlic, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and about 1/3 cup milk. Give it a good stir, and partially cover the nascent ragù.
- Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. If it starts to look dry, dose it with some of the remaining chicken stock.
- Stir in an additional 1/3 cup milk and any remaining chicken stock. Simmer for an additional 30 or 40 minutes, adding a little more liquid as necessary to keep things looking creamy and thick, neither too dry and crumbly nor soupy.
- After the ragù has cooked for an hour or slightly more, it's time to start the pasta. Heat a large pot of well-salted water and cook the pasta until a couple minutes shy of al dente. Drain, reserving some pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, add the final 1/3 cup milk to the ragu. Give it a final stir and taste for seasoning. I tend to add an additional 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Remove about 1/3 of the ragù bianco from the skillet and set aside. Add the drained pasta to the remaining ragù along with 1/4 cup (maybe a little more or less) reserved pasta water. Stir or toss the pasta with the white ragù for a minute or two until the entire thing marries together in perfect harmony and the pasta is perfectly cooked.
- Divide the pasta into bowls. Spoon a bit of the remaining white Bolognese on top of each bowl of pasta. Garnish generously with grated cheese and maybe a twist of pepper or two. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 1076kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 1254mg | Potassium: 1058mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2691IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 6mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
