After years of making bolognese I only just recently learned of the differences between Ragù, Ragù alla Napoletana, and Ragù alla Bolognese. All three are variations of the original ragù sauce, but there are regional and important differences that make them unique.
A traditional ragù sauce uses very little, if any, tomatoes in the sauce, being primarily a rich meat sauce with some milk or cream added near the end for a creamy final product. Ragù alla Napoletana is a variation using red wine and a lot of tomatoes for a thinner sauce that goes well with thinner pastas such as spaghetti. Ragù alla Bolognese (the most popular variation) uses white wine and less tomatoes than the napoletana version, making it thicker and better with wider pasta varieties such as fettuccini and lasagna. All are simmered over very low heat for many hours to develop the rich flavour we all know and love.
Luckily, the bolognese I typically made was not far off from a traditional Ragù alla Bolognese. This time however, I wanted to take the recipe for a little spin, making it healthier with less processed ingredients (i.e. fake meat substitutes), a little blend of spices, and more tomatoes (which inevitably reduce greatly) as a base for lasagna. I was not disappointed in my experiment! It was the perfect amount for 5 layers of lasagna!
This sauce also works perfectly to serve a family of 4 for dinner, and still have another 4 servings to freeze for next time!
To Prepare:
Start by finely chopping your mushrooms while your heavy bottom pot preheats over medium. I do not recommend preheating a non-stick skillet for more than 60 seconds, so please keep that in mind. Once you are ready to cook, add the olive oil and let it begin to shimmer before adding the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes until they reduce by half. Meanwhile, chop your vegetables.
Add the minced garlic to the mushrooms and cook for an additional minute before adding the chopped onions. Cook for an another 2 minutes. Add the carrots and the celery to the pot and stir well. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot.
Add wine (or stock) to deglaze the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat, and cook for 15 minutes until completely reduced.
Add the non-dairy milk, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme to the pot. Turn the heat up to return the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced once more (about 12 minutes).
Add in the pureed canned tomatoes and stir well, making sure to scrape up anything that has stuck to the bottom. Bring up to a simmer and then reduce to the lowest heat possible and partially cover with a lid (leave a small gap) and cook for 3 hours. Taste and adjust spices as necessary. Use in lasagna, serve immediately, or freeze in small containers for quick weeknight dinners.
Makes enough for 8 large bowls of pasta or 1 – 9×12 five layer lasagna.
Mushroom Ragù alla Bolognese
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs white mushrooms chopped small
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium onion chopped small
- 2 carrots chopped small
- 2 celery stalks chopped small
- 1 ¼ cup dry white wine or vegetable stock
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt or to taste
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp red chili flakes optional
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried marjoram
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes pureed
Directions
- In a medium heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, cooking gently for 5 – 7 minutes until they reduce by half and release their juices. Add the minced garlic to the mushrooms and cook for an additional minute before adding the chopped onions. Cook for an another 2 minutes.
- Add the celery and carrots to the pot and stir well. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the wine (or stock) to the pot to deglaze the bottom and bring to a gentle simmer (reducing the heat if necessary) for 15 minutes until fully reduced. Add the salt, pepper, chili flakes (if using), basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme along with the milk. Bring back up to a simmer and reduce the liquid once more (12 minutes).
- Add the pureed canned tomatoes to the pot and stir well, making sure to scrape up anything sticking on the bottom. Bring to a low simmer and then reduce to the lowest heat, mostly covering (leave a small gap) and cook for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, taste and adjust spices. Use in lasagna, serve immediately with pasta, or freeze in small tupperware for quick weeknight dinners.
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