On this the Italians all agree: True ragu needs time

It’s such a simple word: just four letters. And, yet, defining it is not so simple. What, exactly, is ragu? Is it a tomato sauce? A meat sauce? A brand name?

The quickest answer is yes. But the true answer, like the sauce itself, is more complex. True ragu is not something you pour out of a jar. It cannot be thrown together with ground beef and tomatoes on a Tuesday night. Making ragu is an artful, deliberate exercise that takes hours. It is among the most iconic Italian dishes, and it is not an exaggeration to say that throughout Italy it is the measure of a good home cook.

“In some ways, it represents the essence of the way we cook; simple to make, but only if the ingredients have been carefully selected, and as long as you take the required amount of time to make it,” says Angela Frenda, food editor at the Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera. “No shortcuts are accepted, Instant Pot or otherwise.”

At its most basic, ragu can be defined as a range of slow-cooked meat sauces typically paired with pasta. The most famous iterations are Bolognese ragu, the rich ground-meat sauce enhanced with milk and cream from the Emilia-Romagna region; and Neapolitan ragu, made by braising large pieces of pork, beef or a mix in tomato puree. Really, the two could not be more different.

Neapolitan ragu is a robust tomato sauce infused with the flavor and fat of braised meat, and usually served with short, sturdy pasta. Bolognese-style ragu is dense, almost spoonable, delicately flavored and with a minimal amount of tomato. It is typically served in lasagne or with fresh egg tagliatelle. But never spaghetti. Why? Because, for the most part, people in Bologna eat tagliatelle. Indeed, the mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola, recently launched a social media campaign to inform people that the dish known in many parts of the world as “spaghetti Bolognese” does not exist. He calls it “fake news.”

There is also a long-standing dispute between the Bolognesi and the Neapolitans over whose ragu came first, but that is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Besides, there are now variations across Italy. In Tuscany, which borders Emilia-Romagna, ground pork and/or beef are the meats of choice, but dairy is omitted. Farther north, ground rabbit or duck becomes the main ingredient. Ragu from Abruzzo leans more toward the Neapolitan style. Lamb is often part of the mix, not surprising in this mountainous region where sheep farming is still a way of life.

These regional sauces have one essential element in common: an invisible ingredient called time. A great ragu needs time to transform from a pot of disparate ingredients into something whole, rich, complex and deeply satisfying.

“A gentle, long, slow simmering — so it barely blips on the stove — has always been regarded as an essential ‘ingredient’ of a good ragu,” says Jenny Linford, author of “The Missing Ingredient: The Curious Role of Time in Food and Flavor.” Cook a ragu quickly, she warns, and the results are very different: “The elements remain separate, rather than melding together, with the result being simply meat in a comparatively insipid, watery tomato sauce — two-dimensional in flavor, a world away from the classic rich ragu so beloved of Italians.”

The word “ragu” can be traced back to French ragout, a slow-cooked stew made with meat or fish and vegetables, or vegetables alone. It is believed to have made its way to Italy sometime after Napoleon’s invasion and occupation in the late 18th century. It wasn’t until decades later that slow-cooked meat and pasta came together. There is a recipe for maccheroni alla Bolognese in Pellegrino Artusi’s 1891 cookbook “La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiar Bene” (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well). The sauce he describes is, essentially, a prototype for traditional Bolognese ragu, featuring slowly sauteed vegetables and veal, plus broth and nutmeg, but no tomato. Tomatoes came later, but only sparingly, as a way of deepening the flavor.

In Naples and the south, where Italy’s best tomatoes come from, they feature prominently in ragu. Neapolitan ragu is considered a “piatto unico,” something beyond merely a dressing for pasta, says Frenda, who is from Naples. “My two grandmothers, Angela and Olga, considered ragu the prize at the end of the week. It was served on Sunday, because then we had time to sit at the table and enjoy the meal: first the pasta with sauce; and then, in the same dish, the meat that was cooked in the sauce. And, of course, bread to wipe the plate clean.”

Ragu was a Sunday special in our home when I was growing up, as well. My mother was from Abruzzo, but she became known in our New Jersey community for her Bolognese sauce. I remember being fascinated by the day-long process; the quiet sizzling of the vegetables; the heady, almost sweet aroma of the browning meat as it gradually turned a caramel color; the time it took for the milk to be fully absorbed into the sauce; and then the final slow simmer. Mom’s recipe was traditional except for one brilliant deviation: When the sauce was nearly done, she would stir in a handful of very thinly sliced strips of silky, delicately spiced mortadella. The sauce perfumed the house for days.

Making ragu remains one of my favorite weekend pastimes, especially on a blustery day in late winter, when nothing is more comforting than watching (and smelling and tasting) the transformation. Over the years I’ve developed a repertoire of at least six different ragus, including a vegetarian version. Strict definitions aside, yes, you can make a great vegetarian ragu. Apply those same principles of gentle sauteing and long, slow simmering to vegetables, and the result is as satisfying as a meat ragu.

Finally, the Instant Pot question. Given that time plays such an important role, how can an appliance whose purpose is the exact opposite — to slash cooking time — produce an acceptable rendition? I tried it a few times, with varying degrees of success. A short rib ragu was disappointing — soupy and two-dimensional in flavor, with pieces of beef and tomato that never fused into a sauce.

But I was pleasantly surprised by a Bolognese sauce I made from “Instant Pot Italian,” by Ivy Manning. The recipe had many of the same ingredients as my Bolognese but with more tomatoes — a certain amount of liquid is necessary to create steam pressure — and a pinch of baking soda to help soften the vegetables. It took just 1 hour and 15 minutes, and though it lacked the complexity of a true Bolognese (my daughter commented that it tasted more like tomato sauce with meat added to it), my family thought it tasted good tossed with pasta.

So by all means, use your multicooker to make ragu. But don’t deprive yourself of learning how to do it the traditional way. Participating in the creation of this iconic dish and watching the process unfold, says Frenda, is not only satisfying, it will make you a better cook. “Ragu, like good bread, is a labor of love and of life. Time is its best friend.”

Here are eight tips for successful ragu:

1. Use a heavy-bottomed pot, such as enameled cast-iron, so the ragu can cook for hours without scorching.

2. Choose the best ingredients you can afford. Ragu generally calls for cheaper cuts of meat, but be sure the quality is superior; well-marbled heritage pork will yield a more flavorful ragu than leaner mass-produced pork, whose texture leans toward sawdust with long cooking. Look for unseasoned tomato puree and paste that tastes bright rather than aggressive.

3. Most ragus start with sauteing aromatic vegetables — a soffrito. Chop these finely and uniformly, preferably by hand (a food processor tends to shred vegetables, which can prevent them from cooking evenly).

4. Brown ground meat for Bolognese sauce slowly, over medium-low heat. The aim is to gradually bring out the rich caramel flavor without making the meat tough or dry. For southern Italian-style ragu, season the meat before browning over medium-high heat to create a good sear. This will help to flavor the ragu.

5. Deglaze the pan with a good-quality, inexpensive wine and allow it to bubble off, leaving a pleasant acidity.

6. For ragus that call for broth, especially beef, use homemade. Most commercial beef broth is harsh and tastes more of onions. Homemade broth contributes to the rich umami flavor and gives the sauce a silkiness that helps it to cling to pasta.

7. Take note of how your ragu changes as it cooks. The vegetables will soften and sweeten and eventually become one with the sauce. Tomatoes will mellow, and their color will deepen to terra-cotta. The meat will give up its fat to further enrich the sauce and improve its texture.

8. Even when your ragu is done, it’s not yet finished. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it overnight. This final act truly unifies the sauce. Reheat it gently on the stove top, stirring in a little water if necessary to loosen it.

Ragu Alla Bolognese

6 servings cups (enough to dress 2 pounds of pasta)

You may be tempted to cut down on the browning time for the meat. Don’t give in. Slow, gentle browning is what gives this iconic ragu its depth.

Egg or spinach tagliatelle; or wide noodles such as pappardelle are good pasta choices for this sauce.

MAKE AHEAD: This sauce, like all ragus, benefits from an overnight rest in the refrigerator. Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a container with a tight-fitting lid. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Mortadella is available at Italian delis and at some Trader Joe’s stores.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large carrot, scrubbed well and finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped, including any leaves attached

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons plain tomato paste

2 cups beef broth, preferably homemade

1 cup plain tomato sauce or puree (passata, such as Pomi brand)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 ounces mortadella, cut into thin strips (julienne; see headnote)

Heat the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. Once the melted butter begins to sizzle, stir in the carrot, celery and onion. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, or until the vegetables are soft and golden.

Mix in the beef and pork, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the large pieces of meat. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the meat has turned a rich brown color and is crumbly but still tender. This will take longer than you think — about 1 hour.

Once the meat is ready, increase the heat to medium-high; add the wine and stir for a minute or two until it is absorbed. Return the heat to medium-low and season with the salt and nutmeg. Stir in the milk; cook for about 3 minutes, gently, until it has been mostly absorbed.

Dilute the tomato paste in 1 cup of the broth, and then add it to the pot. Stir in the tomato puree. Partially cover, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce cook ever so gently for 2 hours, until it is dense and brick-colored.

Stir in the remaining cup of broth; cook for an additional hour or so, until the sauce has thickened again and all the vegetables have more or less melted into it.

Stir in the cream and mortadella; cover partially and cook (low heat) for about 20 minutes, until the cream has been completely absorbed and the sauce is once again a rich brick color.

–From cookbook author Domenica Marchetti.

Nutrition | Per serving: 640 calories, 31 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 49 g fat, 20 g saturated fat, 155 mg cholesterol, 950 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugar

Porcini Mushroom And Fennel Ragu

6 servings cups (enough to dress 2 pounds of pasta)

A good sauce doesn’t need to contain meat to be rich. This one stars savory dried porcini mushrooms, which contribute an earthy flavor and meaty texture, plus fennel for sweetness.

Be sure to save the soaking liquid after reconstituting the porcinis; stirred into the sauce, it adds even more depth.

Flat noodles such as tagliatelle or pappardelle, as well as short, sturdy shapes such as rigatoni or penne are good pasta choices for this sauce.

MAKE AHEAD: Like meat-based ragus, this sauce gets better if it sits awhile. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before serving.

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 small (about 9 ounces) fennel bulb (trimmed), cored and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped woodsy herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme

Two 28-ounce cans best-quality canned whole tomatoes, passed through a tomato mill or squished by hand

One 2-inch-wide Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional)

1 teaspoon salt, or more as needed

Put the porcinis in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them and let them steep for 20 to 30 minutes, until softened. Drain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with damp paper towel, taking care to capture the liquid in a bowl; you should end up with about 11/3 cups. Reserve the soaking liquid; coarsely chop the porcini.

Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the carrot, celery and onion; cook for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften and turn shiny. Stir in the fennel, garlic and herbs; cook for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, but not mushy.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the rehydrated, chopped porcinis and half their reserved soaking liquid. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Pour in the tomatoes and their juices and add the Parm rind, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially and cook gently for 45 minutes, until thickened; the tomatoes will have turned a few shades darker. Season with the salt. Stir in more of the reserved porcini soaking liquid (you may not use it all); cook for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant, and the oil pools at the surface.

Turn off the heat; discard the Parm rind before serving or storing. Taste, and add more salt, as needed.

–From cookbook author Domenica Marchetti.

Nutrition | Per serving: 190 calories, 5 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 6 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar

Southern Italian-Style Pork And Sausage Ragu

6 to 8 servings (makes 4 cups of sauce, plus meat and sausage)

There are two ways in which you can enjoy this sumptuous southern Italian ragu: Dress the pasta with the rich, meat-flavored sauce and serve the pork and sausages as a second course (or for another meal). Or, for a richer pasta dish, shred the meat and stir it into the sauce before dressing your pasta. Tuck a piece or two of sausage into each bowl with the pasta.

Short, sturdy shapes such as rigatoni or penne are good pasta choices for this sauce.

MAKE AHEAD: This sauce benefits from an overnight rest in the refrigerator. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before serving.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

One 1 1/2-pound pork shoulder (Boston butt)

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces uncooked hot or mild Italian pork sausage (2 links), each sliced crosswise into 4 equal pieces

1 large onion, cut into small dice (about 2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

1/2 cup dry red wine, such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

4 cups plain tomato sauce or puree (passata, such as Pomi brand)

2 cups water, or more as needed

2 bay leaves

1 or 2 crushed dried chile peppers (optional)

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork shoulder all over with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Add the meat; brown it for 4 to 5 minutes on both sides, turning once or twice until nicely browned and a bit of a crust has formed on the surface. Transfer to a deep plate.

Arrange the sausage pieces in the same pot; brown them for 4 to 5 minutes, turning now and then. Transfer them to the plate with the pork.

Reduce the heat to medium-low; stir the chopped onion into the fat left in the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic; cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is shiny like glass and the garlic has softened. Return the pork shoulder to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the wine, stirring to incorporate. Let it bubble for a minute or so, and then add tomato sauce/puree, the 2 cups of water, bay leaves and chile pepper(s), if using. Reduce the heat to low; partially cover and cook for about 1 hour.

Use tongs to turn over the pork. Add the reserved browned sausages to the pot; partially cover and cook for 1 hour. Turn the pork again. The liquid in the pot should be thickened and several shades darker in color. Add 1/4 cup water to the pot if the sauce seems too thick. Cover partially and cook for 1 hour.

Turn the pork once more. Use a fork to test for doneness; the fork should slide easily in and out of the pork. If you feel resistance, partially cover and cook for 1 hour longer, adding another 1/4 cup water, as needed, to loosen the ragu. Taste and more salt, as needed. Discard the bay leaves and chile pepper(s), if using.

Use tongs to transfer the pork shoulder to a cutting board. If you are adding it back to the ragu, let the meat cool slightly, then chop or shred it into bite-size pieces. Return it to the pot along with any accumulated juices. If serving the pork and sausages as separate courses, cut the pork into slices and arrange them on a serving platter along with the sausages. Spoon some ragu over the top and serve.

–From cookbook author Domenica Marchetti.

Nutrition | Per serving (using 1/4 teaspoon salt): 290 calories, 21 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 1,040 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugar

Instant Pot Bolognese

Active — 20 minutes; total — One hour; servings: makes 6 cups (enough for 2 pounds of pasta)

Using an electric multicooker cuts down considerably on the time required to make this kind of ragu. It won’t give you the deep, sweet-savory complexity of a true Bolognese, and you will miss out on the dramatic visual transformation that takes place with a slowly simmering sauce, but it offers a pretty good facsimile.

For this recipe, please refer to the instruction manual of your multicooker for how to properly set the appliance and release steam after cooking.

Egg or spinach tagliatelle or tagliolini; or wide noodles such as pappardelle are good pasta choices for this sauce.

MAKE AHEAD: The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before serving.

8 ounces ground beef, preferably from boneless chuck roast

8 ounces ground pork

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, scrubbed well and finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1/4 cup diced pancetta

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup plain tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup beef broth, preferably homemade

One 3-inch Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 cup heavy cream

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Select the SAUTE option on the multicooker and adjust to MORE/HIGH heat. Once the interior pot is hot, add the ground beef and pork; cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl.

Return the interior pot to its multicooker appliance, then add the oil. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, pancetta and baking soda; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender (the baking soda speeds up the softening of the vegetables). Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, until it begins to darken. Add the wine; cook for 1 minute, using a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Press CANCEL.

Return the meat to the pot. Add the tomatoes, broth, the Parm rind, if using, and the bay leaf. Lock on the lid, select the PRESSURE COOK function, and adjust to HIGH pressure for 30 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is in the “sealing” position and that the “Keep Warm” button is off.

When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the remaining pressure. Discard the Parm rind, if using, and the bay leaf.

Stir in the cream. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

— By Bonnie Benwick (Adapted from “Instant Pot Italian: 100 Irresistible Recipes Made Easier Than Ever,” by Ivy Manning (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018).