Ah Bologna, “Bologna, The Red”!
Red are its bricks and colors of many old Bolognese houses; two of the most important wines produced in the Emilia-Romagna region, where Bologna is capital, (Sangiovese of Romagna and Lambrusco of Emilia); red is also its famous sauce, ragù alla bolognese, a meat sauce for pasta made with passata di pomodoro.
But not only the most famous ragù is red.
Even Ragù di Pancetta is red.
Eat like a local: Red and White Ragù
Even if in Italy there are many different recipes of ragù, usually everywhere in Italy ragù is a red sauce made with tomato sauce (passata di pomodoro).
For this reason, the Italian title of this same recipe is: Ricetta del Ragù di Pancetta (Pancetta Ragù Recipe), you see I didn’t write with Passata.
Italian people know that if it’s ragù, ragù is red and in case it’s white (without Tomato sauce), I have to specify it.
Pancetta and Tomato Sauce Ragù
Among pasta sauce recipes is one of the quicker to make and cook.
It needs few ingredients and just about 30 mins of time. In a very short time, you’ll have sauce for pasta. But when I can, I prefer to cook it one o some days in advance.
Its taste will be richer!
If I cook abundant ragù, I preserve it, covered, in the fridge for some days, or I make little portions and I store them into the freezer.
This kind of sauce is perfect to flavor all kind of short pasta shapes and those go in the oven to make pasta al forno.
Sometimes I use it also for crostini and to fill tigelle.
And now, I’m waiting for you in the kitchen. In case of doubts or questions, I wait for you in the comments below.
Buona pasta! Monica
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Tip
Pancetta is not bacon. So remember that bacon gives a different taste to the original recipe. Anyway, if you want a more strong flavor, substitute 50 g of fresh pancetta with bacon.
Pancetta and Tomato Sauce Ragù
serves 4
fresh pancetta, 200 g
medium onion, 1
carrot, 1
white stick of celery with leaves, 1
passata di pomodoro, 150 g
½ water glass
½ red wine glass
fine sea salt, black pepper, butter, olive oil
Directions
Clean vegetables and chop them one at time finely, as to make soffritto.
Chop pancetta finely.
In a pot, place a little of oil and butter and brown gently onion for 2 minutes on a medium heat, add in celery, carrot a pinch of salt and pepper and cook on medium-low heat for 3 mins, stirring.
Add in also little pieces of pancetta and stir until all ingredients are well mixed.
Now, add water and passata. Stir and cook for about 2 mins before to add also red wine and simmer -raising the heat- until wine reduced.
Again reduce the heat.
Cook on low heat for others 10 minutes and turn out the heat.
Leave at room temperature and, it requires, season with salt and pepper to taste.
