White ragu recipe aka ragù bianco is a classic Italian pasta sauce made with ground pork and pancetta. It takes inspiration from my delicious beef ragu made with slow cooked tomato sauce. This recipe is a pure joy to eat and it makes the best cozy and comfort food that you can serve during the cold winter night or during the holidays. It is extremely easy to make, can be prepared in advance, and in just 1 hour you'll have a delicious pasta sauce perfect as family dinner.
Every region in Italy has different ragu sauce, made from different cuts of meats, as well as using different herbs, and spices. A good example would be my southern calabrese sauce made with a mix of meats and tomatoes sauce . And despite what many people think, not every ragu is cooked with milk or tomatoes- that's really the trademark of ragu alla Bolognese. However, the rules sometimes are meant to be broken.
This white ragu comes straight from my family's recipe, and it's totally different from the classic bolognese ragu- both in ingredients and in the way it's cooked. Instead of adding milk, we let it simmer the ragu on low heat with a rich beef broth. Then, just before is done, we melt in a fews chunks of butter to bind the ragù bianco. Making this white sauce more richer, creamer, and absolutely irresistible.
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What pasta to serve with white ragu sauce
For this kind of ragù bianco, any pasta is a perfect match. Whatever is dry pasta from your cupboard or a fresh homemade batch. If you are in budget, simply grab whatever pasta you already have on hand. But if you're in the mood for something different, I have got a few favourites to recommend. Here are the pasta shapes that pair beautifully with this delicious white ragu:
- Gnocchetti Sardi - This homemade semola pasta has just 2 ingredients. It's extremely easy and quick to make. It's my go to pasta when I want something quick but that tastes homemade.
- Fresh eggs pasta - I am sure you already know this one. It takes a little more effort, but it payoff. Its silky, slightly chewy texture grabs on any sauce. From a single dough you can create tagliatelle, fettuccine, pappardelle, maltagliati, and so much more.
- Rigatoni
- Tonnarelli
- Penne
- Gnocchi
- Trofie
- Paccheri
- Spaghettoni - Go for thicker spaghetti instead of spaghettini, so the sauce has more texture to cling to.
- Farfalle
- Orecchiette
Ingredients for white ragu sauce
- Carrots, celery and onion - This trio is the backbone one every Italian ragu. Blending them in a food processor makes sure that they melt into the sauce, creating a more smooth ragù bianco.
- Juniper and herbs - Juniper berries, along with rosemary and bay leaves are a dream team with the pork. They add a deep, aromatic flavour that makes the ragu even more appetising. Whenever possible, go for fresh herbs, as they provide more flavour than the dried ones.
- Ground pork - When using ground pork for white ragu, choose a cut that isn't too lean. A bit of fat is essential, as it add flavour and makes the meat more tender and juicy. If you're unsure, ask your butcher for some help. If the pork is too lean, you can add the 2 sausages to make up for the missing fat.
- Pancetta - Use smoked pancetta sliced into small chunks. The smoky flavour add an extra layer of depth into the white ragu recipe.
- Wine - Use white dry wine to deglaze your ragù bianco. Any Italian white wine works well such as pinot grigio, verdicchio or chardonnay wine. Don't use any sweet wines.
- Broth - I use beef broth in here. Make sure that the broth is hot when you add it to the recipe. This will help the sauce to maintain a consisted temperature during the cooking.
- Butter - It is a final luxury touch that makes this white ragu pasta even more creamier and velvety. Use unsalted butter.
- Seasoning - Save the salt to the very hand. Always taste the white sauce first to see if it needs it. In here I didn't add any salt, as the smoked pancetta is already quite salty. But everyone has their own salt preferences, so adjust to taste.
Instructions recipe for white ragu
- Step 1: start by making the vegetables for the soffritto. Add the carrot, celery and onion in a food processor and blitz the vegetables unitl are finely shredded.
- Step 2: Add the olive oil along with the vegetables, herbs and the juniper berries in a sauce pan. Turn the heat on medium - high. Fry the soffritto for 6-8 minutes, or until they become pale. Mix and scrub the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula.
- Step 3: Add the pancetta and give it a good stir and make sure to scrub the bottom of the pan. After 5 minutes add the ground pork, mix everything together and with a wooden spatula break down the meant by pushing it down. Cook all for 8 minutes. Keep stirring and scrubbing.
- Step 4: Pour the white wine and turn the heat to high. Make sure to stir and scrub down any brown bits from the bottom.
- Step 5: Once the alcohol is evaporated, turn the heat to low and add some parts of the broth into the white ragu. Give a good mix with a spatula. Once is staring to dry up add more broth and keep stirring every now and then.
- Step 6: After 20 minutes the white sauce should be coming together. Add the butter and seasoning if necessary. Give it a good mix and add the pasta and few tablespoons of the pasta water to cream up. Serve the pasta with the white dressing straight away.
Hint: discard the herbs from the white ragu before to add the pasta. Serve with plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Ingredient substitutions
- Meat - Swap the ground pork for Italian sausage, or try mixing different meat. Such as ground veal, beef, and pork.
- Pancetta - I use smokey pancetta but it can be replaced by regular pancetta, guanciale or even bacon (finely sliced).
- Broth - If the beef broth is not available, the chicken or vegetables broth works great in here.
- Herbs - Swap the bay leaves with some fresh sage.
- Spices - Instead of Juniper berries add into the white ragu ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds.
- Pasta - Any pasta works perfectly here.
Ragù bianco top tip
Soffritto base - Instead of mince the carrot, celery and onion into chunky pieces, I grind them using a food processor. This technique helps the vegetables to soften mush faster and almost melt completely into the sauce as they cook. The result is a smooth and velvety white ragu. To save time I used a food processor, but a cheese grater would work fine. Instead, if you want to feel the texture of the veggies you can finally mince with a sharp knife.
Don't skip the broth - The broth is what gives to this white ragu recipe a richer flavour and creamer texture. As we know the broth has collagen that helps to thicken up the sauce. Adding the broth gradually in more steps ensures that the meats cooks evenly and stay tender.
Seasoning - When cooking a white ragu sauce with a broth, I like to add the salt at the very end, if it's need it. Broth contains already some salt, specially the store-bought, and adding the salt too early can make the sauce too salty. Additionally, we are using the smokey pancetta, which also add a good amount of salt. Leave the seasoning a the very end.
Finish with few chunk of butter - This is a little trick I learned from my nonna. Once the white ragu is fully cooked add few small chunk of butter and stir the sauce gently. The butter will melt into the white sauce, giving it a silky texture while also enhance the flavour.
📖 Recipe
White ragu sauce in one hour ( Italian ragù bianco)
Equipment
- 1 Chopping board and Vegetable Knife
- 1 Medium sauce pan
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 carrot
- 1 medium onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 3 juniper berries
- 1 fresh rosemary spring
- 100 gr smoked pancetta 3½ oz
- 350 gr ground pork 12.34 oz
- 100 ml white wine such as pinot grigio, verdicchio or chardonnay 3.38 fl oz
- 740 ml beef broth (keep it warm) 26,10 oz
- 50 gr unsalted butter 1.8 oz
- 300 gr pasta 10.58 oz
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by making the vegetables for the soffritto. Cut into chunks the carrot, celery and onion. Add them a food processor and blitz the vegetables until are finely shredded.
- Add the olive oil along with the vegetables, herbs and the juniper in a sauce pan. Turn the heat on medium-low heat. Fry the soffritto for 6-8 minutes, or until they become pale. Mix and scrub the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula.
- Add the pancetta and give it a good stir and make sure to scrub the bottom of the pan. After 5 minutes add the ground pork, mix everything together and with a wooden spatula break down the meant by pushing it down. Cook all for 8 minutes. Keep stirring and scrubbing. You might see that the bottom of the pan is getting brownish, don't worry. We will deglaze it later with the wine.
- After 8 minutes pour the white wine and turn the heat to high. Make sure to stir and scrub down any brown bits from the bottom.
- Once the alcohol is evaporated, turn the heat to low and add some parts of the broth into the pan to cover slightly the meat. Give a good mix with a wooden spatula. Once is staring to dry up add more broth and keep stirring every now and then. Make sure that the broth is always warm. Don't leave the ragu alone, keep stirring.
- Cook the ragu until all the broth is being used and the ragu has became a creamy consistency.
- After 20 minutes the sauce should be coming together. Add the butter and stir to combine. Taste to adjust the salt and black pepper, if needed.
- Cook the pasta of your choice, in plenty of salted boiling water. Once it's al dente, reserve some pasta water. Add the pasta water into the ragu along with the drained pasta. Mix well, then add some grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Toss again and served with some more grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Notes
Store
- Fridge - Place the leftovers in an airtight container for about three days. For the best experience, reheat the ragu before serving in a frying pan with a splash of water.
- Freezer - Once it has completely cooled, transfer the leftovers into small airtight containers and place them in the freezer. I like to divide the leftovers into smaller portions for easy, ready-to-eat servings. They will stay fresh for up to one month. When needed, defrost them in the fridge for 12 hours before reheating, then follow the instructions above.
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