This ragu combines lean ground beef and ground turkey with pancetta, soffritto, red wine, and passata into a thick, meaty sauce served over wide pappardelle noodles. One pot of sauce makes eight servings, so it pulls real weight as a filling weeknight meal. The total time is about an hour, most of which is hands-off simmering.
The technique that matters
The two steps that separate a good ragu from a flat one are fat rendering and wine reduction. Start the pancetta in a cold pan with the oil, then bring it up to medium heat — this draws out the fat slowly so it coats the pan before the vegetables go in, rather than just sitting on top. The wine reduction is equally important: when you pour in 1½ cups of red wine, you need to let it boil hard until it reduces by about three-quarters before adding the stock and passata. Rushing this step leaves a sharp, raw alcohol taste in the finished sauce. Both meats — the ground beef and the ground turkey — must be fully cooked through with no pink remaining; ground turkey in particular needs to reach 165°F (74°C) internally before you move on. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of it.
Troubleshooting
- Sauce is watery after simmering: Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes and turn the heat up slightly. Passata brands vary in thickness, and some release more liquid than others. Keep simmering uncovered until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Meat clumped into large chunks: This happens when the pan is overcrowded and the meat steams instead of browning. Break it down aggressively with the wooden spoon in the first two minutes of cooking, before it firms up.
- Sauce tastes flat despite the full cook time: Add salt in small increments and stir between each addition — underseasoning is the most common culprit. A small splash of red wine vinegar (half a teaspoon) can also sharpen dull tomato-based sauces without making them taste acidic.
- Pappardelle sticking together after draining: Toss the drained pasta immediately with a ladle of sauce rather than letting it sit in the colander. Wide flat pasta clumps fast once the starch cools.
- Sauce too thick before pasta is ready: Stir in a quarter cup of the pasta cooking water. The starch in it helps loosen the sauce without thinning the flavor.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover sauce and pasta separately if possible — the pasta absorbs liquid overnight and turns soft. The sauce keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well for up to 3 months; freeze it in single-serving portions so you can pull out exactly what you need. To reheat, add the sauce to a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water or stock, stirring until hot throughout. Skip the garnish of fresh basil when reheating — not worth the extra dish. Fresh pappardelle is best cooked the day you eat it, but dried pappardelle holds up fine in the fridge for a day if tossed with a little olive oil.
Easy Ragu With Pappardelle
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt - 6g, plus more to taste
- 2 ounces pancetta - chopped, 55g
- 8 ounces pappardelle - 225g
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped pancetta.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 ounces pancetta
- Cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp and render its fat, about 3-4 minutes.2 ounces pancetta
- Add garlic, onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, about 5-8 minutes.3 cloves garlic, 1 medium white onion, 1 large carrot, 1 large celery stalks, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the ground beef and ground turkey. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Drain any excess fat if needed.1 pound ground beef (minced beef), 1 pound ground turkey
- Pour in the red wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Let it boil, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced by about three-quarters and the raw alcohol smell has cooked off, about 4-5 minutes.1 1/2 cups red wine
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, basil and Italian seasoning, stirring to incorporate.1 cup chicken stock, 28 ounces passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed), 1 tablespoon basil, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Taste it, then add more salt and pepper if needed.1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Lower the heat and let simmer gently, stirring from time to time until everything has become nice and thick, roughly 20 to 30 minutes (you can certainly let it go longer if you have the time, it can only make things tastier).
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pappardelle according to the packet instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup (120ml) of pasta water before draining.8 ounces pappardelle
- Toss the drained pappardelle directly into the ragu, adding a splash of reserved pasta water to help the sauce cling to the ribbons. Serve immediately topped with freshly grated Parmesan, the remaining fresh basil, and hot crusty bread with olive oil on the side if desired.8 ounces pappardelle, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon basil
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use all ground beef instead of the beef and turkey mix?
Yes, you can use 2 pounds of lean ground beef and skip the turkey entirely. The sauce will be slightly richer and heavier, so drain the fat thoroughly after browning to keep it from turning greasy.
What can I use instead of red wine?
Beef stock works as a straight swap — use 1½ cups and add a tablespoon of tomato paste to compensate for the depth the wine would have provided. The sauce will be less complex but still solid.
Can I make this ahead and reheat it for a dinner party?
The sauce actually improves after a day in the fridge as the flavors settle, making it a good candidate for cooking the day before. Reheat it gently on the stovetop and cook the pappardelle fresh just before serving.
What to cook next
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Beef Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
- Spicy Calabrian Lamb Ragù
- Hearty Beef Mushroom Stroganoff
