Ragù Napoletano

Method

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1. Season all the meat generously and brown it hard in the olive oil, in batches, until deeply coloured on every side. Set aside.

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2. Lower the heat, add the onions, and cook 20 minutes until completely soft and beginning to catch.

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3. Add the tomato purée and fry 4 minutes until it darkens from red to rust.

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4. Pour in the wine, raise the heat, and let it reduce almost to nothing while scraping the base.

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5. Return the meat with any juices, add the passata, bay and salt, and bring to a bare simmer.

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6. Cook uncovered on the lowest possible heat for 4 hours, stirring every 20 minutes and skimming the fat that rises.

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7. The ragù is ready when the sauce has darkened to brick, the oil has separated at the edges, and the meat gives way to a spoon.

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8. Lift the meat out and keep it warm. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and serve as the first course.

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9. Bring the meat to the table afterwards as the second course, with a little sauce spooned over.

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Chef’s Tips

• Four hours is the recipe, not a suggestion. At two hours you have a decent tomato sauce; at four you have ragù.
• Never let it boil. A bare simmer, uncovered, is what reduces it without turning the meat stringy.
• It is better the next day, which is why Neapolitan families start it on Saturday.

Pairing Suggestions

• Ziti or paccheri, broken by hand
• A Campanian red such as Aglianico
• Bread for the sauce left in the pan

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days and freeze 3 months. Reheat gently; the sauce thickens further on standing.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.