-
Cook time
50 minutes
-
Serves
6 or more
Author Notes
What would happen if Marcella Hazan had an Instant Pot? This is my attempt at an answer. I've adapted her recipe for Bolognese Meat Sauce from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, stopping only to add a few (likely blasphemous) twists along the way. Like the pancetta—which I'm not exactly sorry about. And the swap for red wine, which I'm pretty sure negates this ragu from being considered a bolognese. Toss it with a pound of your favorite pasta, cooked al dente, a splash of pasta water, and a whole bunch of grated parmesan, and you'll have a deeply satisfying weeknight ragu. —Ella Quittner
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is featured in the story, 14 Cozy, Tomatoey Braises to Warm Your Stove Now Through March, sponsored by Muir Glen. —The Editors
Continue After Advertisement
Watch This Recipe
Instant Pot Tomato & Meat Ragu
Ingredients
-
1 tablespoon
olive oil
-
3 ounces
pancetta, sliced about 1/4-inch thick and torn or cut into bite sized pieces (you can substitute bacon or guanciale)
-
1/2 pound
ground beef
-
1/4 pound
ground pork
-
1
large yellow onion, finely diced (about 2 cups)
-
1
medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
-
1
stalk of celery, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
-
1 cup
whole milk
-
1/2 teaspoon
nutmeg
-
1/2 cup
dry red wine
-
2 1/4 cups
canned crushed or pureed tomatoes
-
2 tablespoons
tomato paste
-
2 teaspoons
kosher salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
freshly cracked black pepper
-
1 pound
your favorite pasta, cooked al dente
-
1
hunk Parmesan, for grating over bowls to serve
Directions
-
Turn your multi-cooker on to its sauté setting (if your cooker has a timer component, set it to 45 minutes just to be safe, then hit cancel when you switch to pressure cooking mode) and add the olive oil. Heat until glistening, then add the pancetta and sauté for a few minutes until the fat has rendered, and it's tormentingly crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the ground beef and pork and brown on all sides, breaking up the meat—you can do this in two batches if needed; overcrowding will prevent proper browning. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
-
With the multi-cooker still on sauté, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until onion turns translucent. Add back the ground meat and pancetta, and add the milk and nutmeg. Let the milk come to a simmer while stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn—scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan as you stir. Let the milk simmer for a few minutes until it has mostly evaporated.
-
Add the wine, and let it simmer for a minute before adding the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then put the lid on the cooker and turn to pressure cook mode on high for 20 minutes.
-
Once the sauce has completed pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for a few minutes before turning your steam valve to allow a quick release.
-
To serve, toss the sauce with al dente pasta, and a large splash of the pasta's cooking water to help it bind to the noodles. Grate plenty of Parmesan over the top.
See what other Food52ers are saying.