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image of ragu alla marchigiana, a Marche region meat sauce served in an off white bowl with Maccheroncini di Campofilone

Ragù alla Marchigiana

The traditional Marche meat ragù made with minced beef, pork, and chicken giblets, simmered for three hours. The classic sauce for maccheroncini di Campofilone IGP.
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Heavy-based casserole or terracotta pot
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Sharp knife and chopping board
  • Large pasta pot

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 2 carrots finely chopped
  • 2 sticks celery finely chopped
  • 2 whole cloves chiodi di garofano – optional
  • 500 g minced beef
  • 250 g minced pork
  • 250 g chicken giblets hearts, livers, and gizzards – cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 1 beef marrow bone
  • 1 glass dry white wine approximately 120ml
  • 2 x 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 200-300 ml chicken or beef stock added during cooking as needed
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 3 sage leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh marjoram
  • Small bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 500 g maccheroncini di Campofilone IGP or the finest egg pasta you can source
  • 50 g pecorino marchigiano or hard caciotta finely grated

Instructions

  • Warm the olive oil in a heavy-based casserole or terracotta pot over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and cloves if using. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and turned pale gold.
  • Add the beef marrow bone and turn it in the oil for 2 minutes.
  • Add the minced beef and minced pork. Increase the heat to medium. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and cook until it loses all its pink colour – around 8 minutes.
  • Add the chicken giblets. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring, until they colour on the outside.
  • Pour in the white wine. Let it bubble and reduce until the smell of alcohol has gone – around 3 minutes.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, rosemary, sage, marjoram, and parsley. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. The surface should barely move – just the occasional slow bubble. Cover and cook for 3 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes. Add a ladleful of stock if the sauce tightens before the time is up.
  • After 3 hours, remove the marrow bone, herb sprigs, and cloves. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  • Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Maccheroncini di Campofilone IGP takes 1 minute. Drain and toss immediately with the ragù.
  • Serve with grated pecorino marchigiano.

Notes

  1. The ragù improves overnight. Make it the day before and reheat slowly over a low heat, adding a splash of stock if it has thickened.
  2. It freezes well for up to three months.
  3. If maccheroncini di Campofilone IGP is unavailable outside Italy, use taglierini or the finest egg pasta you can find. Roll fresh pasta to setting 8 on a Marcato Atlas and cut by hand as finely as possible.