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Neapolitan Ragù

When I went to Italy, I completely fell in love with the cuisine. I adored the food I ate there, and especially the dishes I had in Naples. While in Naples, I stopped by a small bookstore and bought Jeanne Caròla Francesconi’s book: "La Cucina Napoletana", first published in 1965. It’s written entirely in Italian… which shows just how committed I am to authentic Italian cooking, considering I don’t speak a word of Italian (thankfully I studied Spanish, which has some similarities)! I couldn’t resist trying the famous Neapolitan ragù, and I immediately set out to make it.
I had to adapt the recipe because my partner doesn’t eat pork (he only consumes halal meat). Traditionally, this dish is made with a mix of pork and beef, or just pork. To work around this, I used veal shanks and well-marbled beef. I even managed to get some fatty veal bones, which was perfect since the slow-simmered fat gives this dish its incredible flavor!
For the other adaptations, I added two bay leaves and replaced the wine with beef broth.
The secret to this sauce truly lies in the slow cooking. The author of the book explains that Neapolitan ragù must be “caressed for hours” so that all the ingredients release their deep aromas.
Traditionally, this dish is served with rigatoni pasta. The way I like to enjoy it is to cook the meat in the sauce for six hours, then shred it into small pieces and return it to the sauce. I serve it with rigatoni. Another way is to serve the meat and sauce separately: eat the meat first, then enjoy the sauce which has gently marinated for hours.
You can also freeze the sauce in small portions, because this recipe makes a generous amount!
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

  • 1 chopped onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 250 g veal shank
  • 500 g beef (e.g. chuck roast)
  • 2 to 3 veal bones (optional)
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Cut the meat into large pieces.
  • In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and brown the meat over medium heat.
  • Remove the meat and set aside in a dish.
  • In the same pot, sauté the onion and garlic for 7 to 10 minutes over medium heat.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Pour in the beef broth and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Return the meat to the pot (including any juices from the resting dish).
  • Add parsley, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes.
  • Let simmer for 6 hours over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Tip: The sauce is ready when it’s very dark, glossy, thick, and no longer tastes raw.
  • Adjust salt if needed.
  • Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce.
  • Remove the meat and shred into small pieces. Return the shredded meat to the sauce.
  • Serve over rigatoni with parmesan.

Video

Notes

If you enjoy rich Italian meat sauces, you might also like my Bolognese sauce recipe, another classic slow-simmered pasta sauce full of deep flavor.