Bucatini with Beef-and-Pork Ragù
Serves 4 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes · Total: about 90 minutes
Plan on about 90 minutes. The sauce should end up thick, with very small crumbles of meat and just enough liquid to coat the bucatini.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bucatini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- ½ medium carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 8 ounces ground beef, preferably 85% lean
- 4 ounces ground pork
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- 1
Chop the vegetables
Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery, aiming for pieces about the size of grains of rice. A food processor works too — pulse a few times and stop before the vegetables become a paste.
- 2
Cook the vegetables
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned around the edges.
- 3
Brown the meat
Add the beef, pork, another ¼ teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Let it sit against the pan for 30 seconds at a time between stirring so it has a chance to brown.
- 4
Add the tomato paste
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. It should darken slightly and leave a thin coating on the bottom of the pan.
- 5
Cook off the wine
Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- 6
Simmer the ragù
Add the broth and milk. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pan and cook for 55 to 70 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes and adding a few tablespoons of water if the sauce starts sticking before the meat is tender. The finished ragù should be thick and moist, without a puddle of liquid in the pan.
- 7
Cook the bucatini
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the bucatini for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Scoop out 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- 8
Finish the pasta in the sauce
Add the bucatini to the ragù with ¼ cup pasta water. Toss over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butter and half of the Parmesan. Toss until the cheese melts, then add the remaining Parmesan.
- 9
Adjust the consistency
Add more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce loosens enough to coat the noodles evenly. It should look glossy without leaving liquid at the bottom of the pan.
- 10
Serve
Taste and add the remaining salt if needed. Divide among bowls and finish with parsley and extra Parmesan.
Recipe notes
Cook’s notes
- Two-percent milk works, though whole milk gives the sauce a fuller texture.
Swaps & substitutions
- Use 12 ounces ground beef in place of the beef and pork.
- Replace the wine with ½ cup broth and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar.
- Spaghetti, tagliatelle, or rigatoni can replace the bucatini.
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