Tuscan Meat Ragù Recipe: Traditional Italian Ragù | Mama Florence Cooking School

What Is Tuscan Meat Ragù?

Ragù is an Italian meat sauce built around slowly cooked aromatics, meat, wine, and often tomato. There is no single universal ragù recipe; versions change from region to region and from kitchen to kitchen.

This Tuscan meat ragù begins with a classic soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery, followed by ground beef and pork. Tomato plays a supporting role through tomato paste and a small amount of canned tomatoes, while dry red wine and vegetable broth add depth as the sauce cooks. The result is a savory, meat-forward ragù designed to cling to fresh pasta rather than overwhelm it.

A Classic Italian Ragù

The key to this recipe is building the sauce in stages. First, finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery and cook them with bay leaf in extra virgin olive oil until golden and softened. Add the ground beef and pork and cook the meat before stirring in the tomato paste and dry red wine. Once the wine has evaporated, add the canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The ragù then cooks gently for about 40 minutes, with unsalted vegetable broth added gradually whenever the sauce begins to dry out.

Mama’s Secret: Do not add all the broth at once. Add it little by little as the ragù cooks so the sauce stays concentrated and you can control the final consistency.

How to Make Tuscan Meat Ragù

Ingredients

•  60 gr canned tomatoes • 250 gr ground beef • 80 gr ground pork or plain sausage • 1 large yellow onion • 1 carrot • 1 celery stick • 1 cup dry red wine • 1 bay leaf • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • salt, as needed • black pepper, as needed • nutmeg, as needed • unsalted vegetable broth, as needed

1. Prepare the Soffritto

• Peel the carrot, celery, and onion and dice them into approximately 2 mm cubes.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the vegetables and bay leaf and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are golden and softened, taking care not to burn them.

2. Cook the Meat

• Increase the heat and add the ground beef and pork.
• Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through.

3. Add the Wine and Tomato

• Add the tomato paste and dry red wine.
• Allow the wine to evaporate, then add the canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Stir well to combine.

4. Cook the Ragù

• Reduce the heat and cook the ragù for approximately 40 minutes.
• Add a little unsalted vegetable broth from time to time as needed, rather than adding it all at once.
• Cover with a lid while leaving a small opening so excess moisture can evaporate.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

How to Serve Tuscan Meat Ragù

1. The original recipe finishes the ragù directly with fresh pasta.
2. Cook the fresh pasta in lightly salted boiling water for approximately 2–3 minutes, or until ready. Drain, then transfer it to the pan with the meat ragù and toss everything together for about a minute.
3. If the sauce feels dry, add a little pasta cooking water. Serve piping hot with grated Parmesan if desired.
4. This style of ragù works especially well with fresh pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or Tuscan filled pasta like Tortelli di Patate.

Make Your Own Vegetable Broth

One of the most practical tips in the original recipe is to use the vegetable scraps from the ragù to make the broth. Place the clean onion, carrot, and celery trimmings in unsalted hot water and bring them to a boil. Use this simple vegetable broth gradually while the ragù cooks. It is an easy way to use what is already on the counter while keeping the broth mild enough not to overpower the sauce.

The Perfect Bite

The finished ragù should be savory and concentrated, with tender beef and pork held together by softened soffritto and just enough tomato to round out the sauce. The dry red wine adds depth, while the nutmeg stays subtle in the background. Once tossed with fresh pasta and a little cooking water, the ragù should cling to the pasta rather than collect heavily at the bottom of the plate.

More Tuscan Pasta Recipes

If you are making fresh pasta to serve with your ragù, try our Fresh Egg Tagliatelle, whose broad ribbons are ideal for a rich meat sauce. For something distinctly Tuscan, pair it with Tortelli di Patate, the potato-filled pasta associated with the Mugello area around Florence. You can also make Fresh Pici Pasta for a thicker, hand-rolled Tuscan pasta with a more rustic texture.

Learn to Make Fresh Pasta in Florence

At Mama Florence Cooking School, ragù is part of a much bigger lesson in how Italian cooking builds flavor from a small number of ingredients.

Our Pasta Making Cooking Class in Florence brings those techniques together in the kitchen, from working with fresh pasta dough to shaping different styles of pasta with guidance from our chefs.

 

Tuscan Meat Ragù FAQ

Q: What meat is used in Tuscan meat ragù? A: This recipe uses 250 g ground beef and 80 g ground pork or plain sausage.

Q: Does Tuscan meat ragù contain tomato? A: Yes. This recipe uses 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 60 g canned tomatoes.

Q: How long does this meat ragù cook? A: The original Mama Florence recipe cooks for approximately 40 minutes over low heat after the wine and tomatoes have been added.

Q: What wine should I use for meat ragù? A: The original recipe calls for a dry red wine. It does not specify a particular grape or wine such as Chianti.

Q: Should I add all the vegetable broth at once? A: No. Add the unsalted broth gradually as needed while the ragù cooks.

Q: What pasta goes well with Tuscan meat ragù? A: Fresh Egg Tagliatelle, pappardelle, and Tortelli di Patate all work well because they can hold a rich meat sauce.

Q: Can I make vegetable broth from the soffritto scraps? A: Yes. The original chef’s tip suggests boiling the clean vegetable scraps in unsalted water and using that broth gradually in the ragù.

 

Disclaimer

Please note that our chefs may adapt recipes according to seasonal ingredient availability and participants’ dietary or allergy requirements. As a result, the ingredients, preparation, or presentation shown in this recipe may vary from what you prepared during your Mama Florence class. In some cases, elements of a dish may also appear as separate recipes. Please reach out to our team if any confusion arises. Thank you - the Mama Florence Family

Reviews

4.9 9 reviews

1. First proper recipe I have attempted from scratch. I read it three times before I bought anything, then laid it all out on the counter like a television programme. Slow, nervous, and it worked.

   Chloe R.

   Brisbane, Australia · June 2026

2. Made the dough on a Sunday morning and it behaved exactly the way the instructions said it would. My first sheet was far too thick; by the third I had it. Worth the flour on the floor.

   Ben T.

   Sydney, Australia · May 2026

3. Kids helped, kids ate it. Both of those were in doubt beforehand.

   Robert H.

   Seattle, USA · April 2026

4. Froze half the batch on a tray before bagging it and it cooked perfectly two weeks later. Glad the recipe mentioned it.

   Sophie H.

   Edinburgh, UK · March 2026

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