Meat Sauce, Bolognese Style

Ragu Ragù doesn’t require much in the way of work, but it does require occasional attention over the course of a morning or afternoon (the variation, however, is pretty fast). Double or triple the recipe if you like (it freezes well).

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 cup chopped bacon or pancetta

8 ounces lean ground beef

8 ounces lean ground pork (or use all beef)

3/4 cup dry white wine or juice from the tomatoes

One 28- or 35-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, drained (reserve the juice if you’re using it instead of wine)

1 cup beef or chicken stock (to make your own, see chicken stock
)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

• Put the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the ground meat and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until all traces of red are gone, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands and add them to the pot; stir, then add the stock. Turn the heat to low and cook at a slow simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes and any clumps of meat that remain. After an hour or so, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for at least another hour, until much of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is very thick. (At this point, you may refrigerate the sauce for a day or two or freeze it for several weeks. Reheat before proceeding.)
• Add the cream and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately with any cooked pasta, passing grated Parmesan, if you like, at the table.

< ul>Thirty-Minute Ragù.

Here I like ground lamb best for its bold flavor, but beef, veal, pork, turkey, or chicken will also work: Omit the carrot, celery, bacon, white wine, and stock. Substitute 8 to 12 ounces ground lamb (or other meat) for the pork and beef. Use a 28-ounce can tomatoes with the juice and reduce the cream to 1/2 cup.

In Step 1, cook the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Proceed with Steps 2 and 3, but cook the tomatoes just until they start to break down, about 15 minutes; add the cream and cook for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 pound linguine or other pasta, drain, and then toss with the ragù. Garnish with freshly grated pecorino Romano and serve.

MAKES: A little more than 4 cups (enough for about 3 pounds pasta)

TIME: At least 3 hours, largely unattended