Prosciutto crudo (ham) ragù a la Bolognese, also popular in Romagna, is a homemade recipe that has been part of my culinary baggage for as long as I can remember.
It is not an express sauce or a sauce you can cook in about twenty minutes. It is an authentically traditional ragù from the already rich Bolognese repertoire to add to the other meat sauces.
I anticipate a possible objection. But how! ham that cooks for a long time? Then it will be inedible. Or at least it will be so tasty that everyone will drink for hours.
Yes, the prosciutto crudo of Parma needs to cook for a long time, about 40 minutes. But, trust me, this ragù will be intense but not aggressive or salty. The milk sweetens the ham in a way that will surprise you.
One relevant thing concerns the Prosciutto.
Ask the butcher to mince it or finely chop it in the mixer at home, and not simply diced, however small.
Preparation begins with a traditional soffritto made with onion, carrot, and celery.
Then you’ll add mince not knife-cut prosciutto crudo, tomato sauce, wine, and milk.
No fear, my Grandma’s recipes are all tested by many tastings.
Ham ragù a la Bolognese goes well with any pasta: dry or egg, long or short. I use it to season maccheroncini, tagliatelle, gramigna and also garganelli and strozzapreti.
Buona cucina, Monica
Bolognese meat ragù recipes
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Prosciutto crudo (ham) ragù
Ingredients
- 1 white onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stick
- 50 g of butter
- 30 g of olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 300 g ham (Prosciutto di Parma), finely minced
- 200 g passata di pomodoro
- 150 ml red wine or white, if you prefer
- 200 ml milk
Instructions
- Remove the onion skin and, if there is any, the inner green part. Wash carrot and celery.
- Finely chop onion, carrot, and celery, keeping the vegetables separate.
- In a high-sided saucepan, melt the butter with the olive oil over a low flame and on a small stove.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook gently for three minutes, stirring, before adding the carrot. Stirring, cook for one minute over low heat. Add the celery as well. Season with a pinch of salt, which helps the vegetables lose water and not burn.
- Cook for 7 minutes over low heat and a small stove, stirring, to give the vegetables time to become sautéed. If you feel it is needed, add a few tablespoons of water.
- Now add the ground ham. With the help of a spoon and fork, quickly separate the mince and mix it with soffritto.
- Then pour in the passata, stir, the wine, stir. Wait 3 minutes before adding the milk as well. Stir again.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 40 minutes on low flame and a small stove.
- Season with whatever pasta you like, and if you feel like it, come back here to leave a comment and tell me how you found it.
- You can freeze the ragù. Preserve it in the fridge for a couple of day.
- Tip: you can enrich the ham ragù taste with peas or peppers, two of the most popular local variations. Add the vegetables with the ham.
