Ragù
.jpg) |
|
| Type | Sauce |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Meat, vegetables |
| Variations | Bolognese sauce |
 |
|
In Italian cuisine, ragù (pronounced [raˈɡu]) is a meat-based sauce that is commonly served with pasta and created by Alberto Alvisi in the 18th century. The Italian gastronomic society l'Accademia Italiana della Cucina documented several ragù recipes.
The recipes' common characteristics are the presence of meat and the fact that all are sauces for pasta. The most typical are ragù alla bolognese (Bolognese sauce). Other types are ragù alla napoletana (Neapolitan ragù), and ragù alla Barese (sometimes made with horse meat).
In northern Italy regions, ragù typically uses minced, chopped or ground meat, cooked with sauteed vegetables in a liquid. The meats may include one or more of beef, chicken, pork, duck, goose, lamb, mutton, veal, or game, including their offal. The liquids can be broth, stock, water, wine, milk, cream or tomato, often in combination. If tomatoes are included, they are typically limited relative to the meat, making it a meat stew rather than a tomato sauce with added meat.
In southern Italian regions, especially Campania, ragù is often prepared from substantial quantities of large, whole cuts of beef and pork, and sometimes regional sausages, cooked with vegetables and tomatoes. After a long braise (or simmer), the meats are removed and may be served as a separate course without pasta. Examples of these dishes are ragù alla Napoletana (Neapolitan ragù) and carne al ragù.
Etymologically speaking, the term comes from the French ragoûts and reached the region of Emilia-Romagna in the late 18th century, perhaps following Napoleon's 1796 invasion and occupation of those northern regions. Prior to that time, peninsula cuisine had a long history of meat stews going back to the Renaissance period. However, they were neither known as ragù nor is there any record of pairing them with pasta. Starting the 16th century, it was not uncommon for pasta to be cooked in and served with a meat broth, often like a simple soup, from which the meat was removed and served separately, if eaten at all.
...
Wikipedia