Ragu Napoletano

5 from 33 votes

Ragu Napoletano is a hearty meat sauce made with beef, pork, and Italian sausage that's slowly simmered with tomatoes, herbs, and seasonings, creating a rich and flavorful meat sauce that the whole family will love.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 45

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 358kcal

Ingredients

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 -4 pounds pork spare ribs cut into 4 sections (Pork Shoulder can be substituted for ribs)
2 pounds beef chuck cut into 2 inch chunks
1 pound mild sausage meat removed from casing
2 cups onion small dice
1 cup carrot peeled and small dice
3 tablespoons garlic finely minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups dry red wine
84 ounces peeled whole tomatoes in juice I used D.O.P. San Marzano- crushed by hand
3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
romano cheese for serving
fresh Italian parsley finely chopped for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat dry the ribs and beef chuck then season heavily with salt and black pepper
Place a large skillet or large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the hot pan.
Carefully place the ribs in the pan and allow them to sear on each side for 3-4 minutes. After searing both sides remove the ribs from the pot and set them aside until needed.
Add the beef chuck pieces and sausage meat to the pan and sear on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Break up the sausage using a wire whip or spoon. Break up the sausage using a wire whip or spoon.
Add the onions, carrots and garlic to the pan and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the red wine to the pan to deglaze the pan and loosen all the tasty bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add the ribs back to the pan, along with the tomatoes and seasonings. Mix together enough to mix the seasonings into the sauce and cover all the meat.
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Continue simmering for 3-4 hours depending upon how much time you have.
Stir the mixture occasionally during the simmering process, but don't disturb or open the pot often.
Remove the ribs from the pot and after allowing them to cool slightly, remove the bones, cartilage and any other items that don't belong in the sauce.
Return the meat to the pot.
Add the basil to the sauce and mix it into the sauce. Taste the sauce and reseason as needed with salt and pepper.
Serve the ragu over pappardelle, tagliatelle or rigitoni.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or fresh chopped basil. Serve the pasta with grated romano or parmesan cheese.

Nutrition