This Easy White Ragu recipe takes around 30 minutes to make and is absolutely delicious. The ground pork mince adds a lovely richness and umami flavour along with the soffritto which is then simmered in stock and cream seasoned with thyme and rosemary. It's full of flavour and one of my favourite weeknight meals to serve up with tagliatelle.
A classic beef mince bolognese is delicious like my Casarecce Bolognese recipe. The richness of the tomato ragu pairs so well with spaghetti. However, sometimes I fancy something creamy, and this easy white ragu with tagliatelle hits the spot every time.
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Why You'll love This Recipe
30 minutes to make: This ragu bianco as the Italians would say, is super quick and easy to make. It takes around 30 minutes to get on the table, so it's perfect for a weeknight meal.
Great for meal prep: White pork ragu is a great dish to prepare for the week ahead. If you just make the ragu, you can then pair it with lots of things. You could have it with pasta, rice, in a tortilla wrap, or serve it with potatoes (mashed would be my suggestion)!. Simply store the ragu in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Full of flavour: Despite the short ingredients list, this recipe offers a burst of flavours. Seasoned with thyme, rosemary, and nutmeg, it's a warming dish that hits the spot every time.
If you're a fan of ragu's with a twist, then you might want to try out my Gochujang Gnocchi Lasagne, a feast for the senses!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Carrot: To make the soffritto (an aromatic mix of diced onions, carrots, and celery gently cooked in olive oil or butter), you need carrots. You can either chop them or grate them, depending on how you like the texture of your ragu.
Celery: As the second component of the soffritto, celery. I used one celery stick and finely chopped it.
Pork mince: Ground pork mince is used for this white ragu sauce recipe. My pork belly pasta is another dish using pork that I love! However, you can use chicken mince or lamb mince if you'd prefer. The higher the fat content of the meat, the tastier and juicier the ragu. If you're looking for a healthier version, then choose a leaner percentage. Turkey meat has a naturally low fat percentage, so you could go with that. If you're looking for a vegan alternative, a mixture of walnuts and cauliflower blended in a food processor is great to act as the meat substitute.
Fresh herbs: For this white pork ragu sauce, I've used a combination of fresh thyme and rosemary. You could also add in some parsley and oregano for extra flavour.
Stock: Vegetable or chicken stock is perfect. I'd recommend not using beef as this changes the colour of the sauce slightly and adds a saltier, meaty flavour.
Single cream: Adding single cream to a pasta dish can impart a rich and creamy texture, elevating the overall flavour profile. Single cream, also known as light cream, contains about 18-20% fat content, making it less rich than heavy cream. You can use a vegan alternative cream if you'd like to make this dish plant-based. If you're a fan of creamy sauces, then check out my cheesy creamy chicken baked in cream of chicken soup.
Pasta: You can use any pasta shape you like, however, for ragu, I tend to add long shapes like spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle. I wouldn't recommend using store-bought dumplings like tortellini or ravioli for this dish, but if you have some lying around in the fridge, then why not make my Marry Me Chicken Tortellini?!
Parmesan: This type of cheese gives a boost of umami with a nutty undertone. You could also use pecorino if you don't have parmesan. If you're looking for a vegan substitute, choose any vegan Italian hard cheese that you like to use.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Place a frying pan on medium heat and add in a drizzle of olive oil. Follow up with your chopped onions, garlic, grated carrot, and finely chopped celery. Season with salt and pepper and gently fry for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 2: Once your onions have softened, add in the pork mince, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and fry for a further 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Step 3: Pour in your stock and single cream. Leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes while you cook your pasta.
Step 4: Cook your pasta of choice in a pan of salted boiling water to packet instructions. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water into your white ragu sauce to loosen the sauce. When your pasta is cooked, drain it and add it into your ragu pan. Combine thoroughly, then serve up with your parmesan, extra thyme, and enjoy!
Top Tips!
- This recipe takes around 30 minutes to make. However, if you'd like to enhance the flavour even further and you're not pushed for time, leave your soffritto to gently cook for 30 minutes. It will take a bit longer to make the whole dish, but it's worth it if you're looking for an extra boost of umami.
- Add a glass of white wine after you've fried off your pork mince before your stock and cream to deglaze the pan, enhance the flavour of the dish, and tenderise the meat.
- Choose a high % fat ground meat for the best tasting dish. The higher the fat content, the tastier the white ragu will be.
What To Do With Leftovers
Storage: Place any leftovers in airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the white ragu alone (leave the pasta out). Place it in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer and place in the fridge to defrost overnight. Then follow the reheating instructions below.
Reheating: When reheating, add in a splash of milk to revive the sauce. Place it in the microwave with a lid loosely attached to the container, and heat up for 2 minutes, then give it a stir, then place it back in for another 2 minutes.
FAQs for Ragu Bianco
Originating from Bologna in Italy, Bolognese is a meat-based sauce typically made from minced beef and/or pork, white wine, tomato, onion, celery, and herbs. Ragu is very similar although the main difference seems to be that it is made with red wine originating etymologically in France "ragout". The sauce was then brought over to Italy in the 1700s to make what we now have today as the classic Italian meat-based ragu.
The best white wine for cooking white ragu is a crisp, dry white wine. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay wine are all nice options. I've not used white wine in this recipe, but adding in a splash of the options above would enhance the flavour and depth of the dish!
Ragu Bianco is made from ground pork mince, soffritto (onions, garlic, celery, carrot), chicken or vegetable stock, and single cream, seasoned with fresh herbs.
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Easy White Ragu (30 mins)
Ingredients
- 1 white onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 celery stick finely chopped
- 200g pork mince I used 15% fat
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- 150ml stock vegetable or chicken
- 300ml single cream
- 1 tablespoon parmesan grated, plus extra for garnish
- 200g tagliatelle
Instructions
- Place a frying pan on medium heat and add in a drizzle of olive oil. Follow with your chopped onions, garlic, grated carrot, and finely chopped celery. Season with salt and pepper and gently fry for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once your onions have softened, add in the pork mince, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and fry for a further 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Pour in your stock and single cream. Leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes while you cook your pasta.
- Cook your pasta of choice in a pan of salted boiling water to packet instructions.
- Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water into your white ragu to loosen the sauce as well as 1 tablespoon grated parmesan. Give the sauce a stir, taste, and season accordingly (do you personally want more salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary? Then add it in bit by bit!).
- When your pasta is cooked, drain it and add it into your ragu pan. Combine thoroughly, then serve up with your parmesan, extra herbs, and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe takes around 30 minutes to make. However, if you'd like to enhance the flavour even further and you're not pushed for time, leave your soffritto to gently cook for 30 minutes. It will take a bit longer to make the whole dish, but it's worth it if you're looking for an extra boost of umami.
- Add a glass of white wine after you've fried off your pork mince before your stock and cream to deglaze the pan, enhance the flavour of the dish, and tenderise the meat.
- Choose a high % fat ground meat for the best tasting dish. The higher the fat content, the tastier the white ragu will be.
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