Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo

Rigatoni with a heavy, meat-forward beef ragù and plenty of parmesan

87 min4 servingsItalian
Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo — Italian recipe, finished and plated

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Ingredients

  • 400 g Rigatoni
  • 640 g Ground beef
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 stalk Celery
  • 400 g San Marzano tomatoes (DOP)
  • 24 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 60 g Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 2 cloves Garlic (optional)
  • 2 tbsp Tomato paste (optional)
  • 150 ml Chicken stock (optional)
  • 1 bunch Basil (optional)
  • 1 tsp Black pepper (optional)

Method

  1. Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery into a soffritto. Mince the garlic.
  2. Grate the parmesan.
  3. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the soffritto and cook gently until soft, about 10 minutes.
  4. Turn the heat to high, add the beef, and brown well, breaking it up, about 10 minutes.
  5. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until darkened, about 1 minute.
  6. Pour in the stock and simmer until nearly dry, about 8 minutes.
  7. Stir in the tomatoes, season with the salt and pepper, and reduce to the barest simmer.
  8. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy, about 45 minutes.
  9. Near the end, bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it heavily.
  10. Drop the rigatoni and cook one minute shy of al dente.
  11. Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain.
  12. Toss the pasta into the ragù off heat with a splash of pasta water until well coated.
  13. Plate and finish with the parmesan and torn basil.

About Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo

Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo is an Italian lunch or dinner that comes together in about 87 minutes and serves 4.

Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo: frequently asked questions

Is Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo gluten-free?

As written, no — it contains Rigatoni. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.

Is Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo dairy-free?

Not as written — it uses Parmigiano-Reggiano. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.

How long does Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo take to make?

About 87 minutes start to finish, but only around 37 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.

Do I need every ingredient to make Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo?

The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out garlic, tomato paste, chicken stock — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.

How many servings does Rigatoni al Ragù di Manzo make?

This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.