• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking My Dreams
  • Recipes
  • Online Cooking Classes
  • Work with me
    • Portfolio
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Online Cooking Classes
  • Work with me
  • Subscribe!
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Pasta » Tuscan Ragù Sauce

    Tuscan Ragù Sauce

    Published: Feb 26, 2017 · Modified: Nov 9, 2021 by Jessica Montanelli · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Sharing is caring!

    216 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • WhatsApp
    • Yummly
    • Email
    Total time to make this recipe: 2 hours 30 minutes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    terracotta pot with ragu sauce and a ladle inside

    Ragù is one of the most traditional Italian pasta sauces. This is the Tuscan version of the more famous Bolognese sauce. This ragu sauce can be found on many Tuscan tables on Sunday when the families gather for lunch together.

    When I think about Ragu, many things come to my mind:

    • Waking up on Sunday morning with the scent of soffritto sizzling in the pot
    • The slow, delicate simmering sound
    • My mom's lasagne
    • Sunday lunch with the family
    • Fresh pasta
    • Cleaning the plate with bread so that not even a tiny bit of Ragù would go to waste
    • Dipping the bread in the pot because it's so good you can't just stop eating it. 

    It takes a few ingredients and a few hours to make it. While it's quite easy to do, not many people have the time anymore to cook it so often. That's why when I cook it I always make a big batch and then freeze the portions for whenever I crave it.

    The word Ragù may not sound familiar since everywhere this sauce is now called Bolognese but I didn't want to call this recipe Bolognese sauce because, although it looks the same, the recipe and the ingredients are quite different.

    Every region has its own recipe, every family has its own recipe. This is my ragù. It comes from a traditional recipe but it's adapted to my flavors.

    ladle bringing up some beef ragu

    What is Ragu?

    The word Ragù comes from the french Ragout which usually indicates meat stewed for many hours in abundant sauce. In Italy it then became the classic sauce for pasta.

    The original recipe comes from Emilia Romagna with the classic Bolognese and then the recipe circulated in all the italian regions adapting to the flavors of each family and culture, changing meats and few other ingredients.

    Ragu sauce is most commonly served with fresh pasta like Tagliatelle. Each region has it's own traditional uses: In Emilia Romagna they add Ragù inside Lasagne, in Tuscany we serve it with Tortelli Mugellani or with Pici, in Sicily Arancini are stuffed with Ragù and peas, and so on.

    ladle digging inside the pot of sauce

    Substitutions

    If you don't have all the ingredients available, you can follow below guidelines for substitutions to still get a fantastic Ragù.

    • Soffritto: The mix of onions, carrots and celery is a constant base in Italian cooking and it's what enrich the overall flavor. Think about it as concentrated stock. But if you don't have carrots and celery available, you can substitute their quantity with just red onions.
    • Ground Meat: We usually use half beef and half pork because the fattiness of the pork makes the sauce more flavorful and also the meat remains softer. But you can sub it for all beef.
    • Italian Sausages: The use of Italian sausages is totally optional. If you can find good sausages in your supermarket they will be a great addition to the sauce, but most of the times I cannot find them so I don't add any.
    • Canned Tomatoes: I mention San Marzano tomatoes because they're the most common in Italy, but you can use any canned tomatoes you can find as long as they're good quality. You can either use whole peeled or buy the chopped or even blended tomatoes.
    • Tomato Paste: This is also optional. It's great to make the sauce thicker and more tomatoe-y but if you cannot add it it's also fine.
    • Red Wine: Sometimes I use red, sometimes I use white. Both are good so I would not skip the wine. The alcohol completely evaporates but it brings out the flavor of the ingredients.
    • Juniper Berries and Bay Leaves: These 2 ingredients are key to make the Tuscan Ragù and it's one of the things that differentiates it from Bolognese. But if you don't have either or both available you can skip them. You'll still make a nice sauce.
    • Beef Stock: You can use also chicken stock or vegetable stock if you don't have it available.
    overhead terracotta pot with ragu sauce

    The Recipe

    Check out also these recipes made with this ragu:

    • Classic Tuscan Lasagna
    • Tortelli Mugellani - Tuscan Potato Ravioli
    • Pasta al Forno - Classic Pasta Bake

    You can save time by prepping and freezing the Soffritto (mix of onions, carrots and celery) in small portions. See this post about Soffritto (Mirepoix) for the details.

    terracotta pot with ragu sauce and a ladle inside

    Tuscan Ragù Sauce

    A delicious meaty Sunday Sauce that follows my family's traditions. Similar to Bolognese sauce but with a Tuscan twist.
    4.75 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Author: Jessica Montanelli

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Red Onion, finely chopped
    • ½ cup Carrots, finely chopped
    • ½ cup Celery, finely chopped
    • 2 cups mixed Pork and Beef ground meat
    • 2 Italian Sausages
    • 14 oz peeled San Marzano tomatoes , canned
    • 1 tablespoon Concentrated Tomato Paste
    • ⅓ cup Red Wine
    • ½ tablespoon Juniper berries (dried)
    • Beef Stock
    • 3-4 Bay Leaves
    • 2-3 tablespoon EVO Oil
    • 1-2 teaspoon Sugar
    • Salt, Pepper

    Instructions

    • Start making the soffritto by finely chopping the onion, carrot and celery or if you don't want chunks in the sauce, you can use a mixer until they're finely shredded.
    • Add 2-3 tablespoon of EVO oil in a large pot and add the soffritto. Turn on the medium heat and cook until they become really soft (do not brown).
    • Add the ground meat and the sausages and turn the heat to high and cook until the meat changes color, then add salt and pepper to season the meat. Finally pour the wine and let evaporate the alcohol.
    • Purèe the San Marzano tomatoes in a blender, then turn the heat to low and add the pureed tomatoes to the pot. Add enough beef stock to cover all. Add also the concetrated tomato paste and mix.
    • Taste and season accordingly; if necessary, add some sugar to break the acidity of the tomatoes.
    • Finally, add the bay leaves and the juniper berrier. Mix well with a wooden spoon and cover the pot with the lid. Let it simmer for at least 2 hours stirring every once in a while. 
      If the sauce reduces too much, add some more beef stock.

    Notes

    You can add ⅓ cup of milk 15 minutes before the cooking time ends to add more creaminess, break the acidity of the tomatoes and make the flavors more delicate.
    You can let the sauce cool and then pour it into freezer bags or freezer containers and freeze for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 403 kcal | Carbohydrates: 7 g | Protein: 19 g | Fat: 32 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Cholesterol: 82 mg | Sodium: 454 mg

    Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Have you tried this recipe?Snap a photo and tag @jess.cookingmydreams or use the hashtag #cookingmydreams!

    If you like this recipe, you can leave a comment and a star rating to support me. ★★★★★
    Thank you so much!

    plate of pici pasta with tuscan ragu
    « Tuna Steak crusted with Pistachios and Sun Dried Tomatoes
    Cheese Cappelletti with creamy Asparagus sauce »

    Sharing is caring!

    216 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • WhatsApp
    • Yummly
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara Gallagher

      December 03, 2022 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      This sauce is the bomb!!! I love the addition of juniper berries which gives the sauce a unique and more earthy flavor. It’s the only sauce I make now to go along with your Tuscan lasagna recipe, which is a huge hit! I’ve become the lasagna queen at work because of it. I can’t count how many times I’ve shared both recipes. Thank you so much for your amazing recipes!

      Reply
    2. David Grein

      June 11, 2022 at 11:31 pm

      Jessica,
      The recipe calls for 1/2 cup each of onion, celery, and carrots. Is that before chopping or chopped?

      Reply
      • Jessica Montanelli

        June 15, 2022 at 3:24 pm

        Hi David, Thank you for your question. The quantity is referred to the chopped vegetables. I'll add this to the notes in the recipe card. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Nathalie

      June 03, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      Very nice, soft texture of the meat due to the long cooking time and a very rich flavor of the sauce. I do add 2 cans of peeled tomatos, just because we like it.
      I always make a big batch and freeze some for next time.

      Reply
    4. Christina | Christina's Cucina

      May 18, 2020 at 6:05 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely post and your photos are beautiful! Thank you so much for including my arancini recipe! Very much appreciated 🙂

      Reply
      • Jessica - Cooking my Dreams

        May 18, 2020 at 6:42 pm

        Thank you Christina! Your blog is lovely 🙂

        Reply
        • CAROL L. WASSAM

          December 14, 2021 at 4:39 pm

          5 stars
          Very good. Family all loved it

          Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm an Italian who moved to the Netherlands with a true passion for food, travel, and everything handmade. I love to experiment, learn new skills, and share my knowledge about everything I do!

    This blog is my perfect escape to search for my path towards happiness. :)

    More about me →

    • jess.cookingmydreams
    • Cooking my Dreams
    • jess.cookingmydreams

    Popular Recipes

    • Ricotta and Smoked Salmon Ravioli
    • Pici Cacio e Pepe (Tuscan Pasta with Creamy Cheese and Black Pepper Sauce)
    • Classic Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
    • Classic Tuscan Lasagna
    • Soffritto (Mirepoix): What it is, how to use and how to freeze
    • Pasta with Easy Creamy Eggplant Sauce

    Subscribe and get a Free E-Cookbook

    ebook page that says 10 classic tuscan recipes.

    As Seen In

    Spring Recipes

    • Soft Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Chocolate Chunks
    • Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartare
    • Wild Mushroom Ravioli (with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce)
    • Raspberry Chocolate mini Bundt Cakes

    Follow me

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with me
    • Portfolio
    • Cooking Classes

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    I refuse.
    SettingsAccept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    216 shares