This is the one to make on a Sunday. Most of it happens without you, in a low oven, while the kitchen fills with the smell of it.
What you put in at the start decides how it tastes at the end, so the first twenty minutes deserve your full attention. The secret is the browning. Press the mince into the pan in big pieces and leave it alone until it's deeply coloured underneath. Stirring it about gives you grey meat and a flat sauce.
Ingredients
- 400gbeef mince
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
- 1onion, finely diced
- 1carrot, finely diced
- 1 stickcelery, finely diced
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 500mlpassata
- 400mlbeef stock
- 100gpancetta, diced
- 100mlmilk
- 1lemon, zest and ½ the juice
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Parmesan, freshly grated
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- 400gfresh tagliatelle
Shop for both weeks at once: the second list comes in next week, when you finish the dish.
Method
-
1
Sear the beef
Heat the casserole over medium heat, add the oil and let it coat the base. Add the mince in large pieces and press it down firmly so it makes full contact with the pan. Leave it undisturbed until it's deeply browned underneath, about 4-5 minutes. Turn it, brown the other side, then lift it out and set aside.
Don't rush this. The browning is where the depth comes from.
-
2
Build the base
In the same pan, add the onion, carrot and celery. Lower the heat to medium-low and sweat them gently for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. They should soften and sweeten without colouring.
-
3
Beef back in, then the tomato paste
Return the beef to the casserole. Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for a minute until it darkens slightly. Cooking the paste takes away its raw acidity and deepens the flavour.
-
4
Liquids, then the oven
Pour in the passata and stock, bring to a gentle boil, then turn down to a simmer. Put the lid on and move the casserole to an oven preheated to 150°C. Cook for at least 45 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and is thick, rich and aromatic.
One pot, hob to oven
A ragù needs a pot that can sear on the hob and then go straight into the oven with its lid on, without anything being moved. That's what cast iron is for. The Season Cast Iron Casserole has walls and lid the same thickness, so the heat comes at the sauce evenly from every side rather than scorching the base. The dimples under the lid catch the steam and drip it back over the ragù as it cooks. The 26cm is £100 and holds this recipe with room to spare.
Shop the Cast Iron Casserole
Finishing the ragù with crisp pancetta, milk and lemon, and bringing it together with your tagliatelle.
Created by Season with Francesca, our specialist pasta tutor. The cooking you see is real; the presenter is an AI avatar we used to stitch the lessons together.