As an Italian, and living in Emilia Romagna, the ragu’ that I’m very familiar with is the “Ragú alla Bolognese.” Even if I didn’t use to live in Bologna (which this kind of sauce takes its name from) it was very typical in my family to have it in abundance in the fridge. Once my mom prepared it, she usually prepare a lot and stored it.
I assure you there is nothing like waking up kind of late on a Sunday, taking the stairs and while you are walking up towards the kitchen, an amazing smell comes to wake you up tickling your nose and your senses… All the fragrances of the fresh vegetables cooking in olive oil, the tomatoes, the meats… It just makes you happy because you already know by the smell what’s waiting for you. Aaaaah a big plate of tagliatelle with ragu’ and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano grated fresh from a big chunk. Heaven!
The word ragu’ comes from the French “ragout,” a name that derives from ragouter: “waking up your appetite.” Oh it does that for real!
Now, if you go from home to home of the same town you’ll probably find some variation in the preparation of it. Even from my mom to my grandma there is something different. You can find someone using mortadella, prosciutto or sausage, or even pancetta, but there are some basic things that are the same.
With a simple pasta dish or stuffed pasta or on top of a portion of polenta this sauce is simply amazing.
Remember guys, really good ingredients makes the difference, so don’t be so cheap when it comes to food, is better for your health and for your palate. Go find a really good ground beef and ground pork, preferably organic and free range, pasture raised.
I can relate that in a big city, with long days at work, frenetic living, etc. there is no time to do that here, but it’s worth trying, for your health and mental stability!
If you follow this link I’m going to show you How to Make an Amazing Ragu’ and I added my Mom’s version too.
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