This Ragu Recipe combines ground beef, Italian sausage, veggies, and crushed tomatoes in a rich sauce tossed with pasta, fresh herbs, and Parmesan.
a reliable Ragu Recipe
I’ve shared quite a bit about the cooking classes we took in Italy, specifically when sharing this Beef Ragu recipe. That recipe is made with shredded beef (made in the slow cooker) and based on an authentic Italian recipe from the cooking class.
And today’s recipe is based on the same recipe, but we’re using sausage plus ground beef and cooking it on the stovetop. My kiddos could eat pasta for every meal if I let them and a good Ragu sauce is a favorite in our home.
A few ingredient-specific notes, tips, and tricks:
Ragu Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef chuck. Ground chuck is a form of ground beef that is taken from the neck and shoulder of the cow. It’s got an 80/20 lean to fat ratio which makes it great for a rich sauce like Ragu. If you’re looking to reduce fat or calories, pick a lean ground beef instead.
- Italian sausage. Depending on personal preference, use mild or spicy sausage. Look for well-marbled meat, which is going to contribute more flavor and richness. Remove the casings before cooking and use the leftover sausage in these quick Italian Hoagies.
- Veggies: Dice veggies small and aim to keep them the same size. You don’t want to end up with large chunks of veggies in the final sauce; we want them to be fairly imperceptible when looking at the sauce–they’re there to add flavor.
- Crushed tomatoes: Use the best quality canned tomatoes you can find! We use and recommend San Marzano or Muir Glen crushed tomatoes (so much flavor!) With cheaper tomatoes, you may need to add some sugar to balance out acidity.
Note: San Marzano and Muir Glen are trademarked brand names of canned tomatoes.
Ragu Recipe Pasta
You can use whatever pasta you prefer. a reliable pasta to use in this recipe is pappardelle. A lot of times pappardelle is confused with tagliatelle–here are the differences.
Quick Tip
What is pappardelle? Pappardelle is one of the less-common kinds of pasta, but most larger grocery stores carry it. It’s a long, flat, wide noodle–imagine taking a lasagna noodle and slicing it into three long strips. That’s pretty much what pappardelle looks like. If you use spaghetti as the typical width of a noodle, fettuccine is a bit flatter and wider. Tagliatelle is a bit wider than fettuccine and pappardelle is the widest of all.
How Can I Make My Ragu Recipe Better?
- Take time to sear the meat. Searing adds color and color = flavor. Let the beef and sausage stand in the hot pan for a minute before crumbling and browning. This will elevate the flavor of the meat.
- Use good ingredients. The better the ingredients, the better the flavor!
- Make the sauce ahead of time. This sauce only gets more flavorful and tender the longer it sits. You can make it a day before serving.
- Emulsify sauce and pasta. Tossing the hot pasta with the Ragu sauce and reserved pasta water is called emulsifying and that’s how you get a wonderfully smooth and flavorful sauce that clings to the pasta instead of falling to the bottom of the pot!
- Don’t forget to season at every step. Season the meat, the veggies, the pasta water, and the final dish (if needed). Seasoning as you cook (as opposed to just at the end) is a great way to add more dimension to the dish.
Storage
Make Ahead Of Time!
Since the sauce is tossed separately with the pasta, it’s a great make-ahead component. In fact, the Ragu only gets more flavorful and tender as it sits and ingredients have a chance to meld. When ready to serve, cook the pasta fresh and emulsify the sauce plus pasta right before eating.
Prepare an Italian-Inspired Feast!
- Start with a simple Bruschetta recipe as an appetizer.
- Then serve this Focaccia bread, Roasted Broccoli, and Apple Fennel Salad as sides.
- Finish things strong with from-scratch Tiramisu, Cannoli Dip, or Gelato for dessert.
