Location & Language
Location
Your location determines which local communities, pages, places and events you see.
Display language
The language used for menus, buttons and interface text.
Location
Your location determines which local communities, pages, places and events you see.
Display language
The language used for menus, buttons and interface text.
In the alpine foothills and river valleys of northern Italy, polenta con ragù has nourished generations of farmers and shepherds who needed a hearty, warming meal after long days outdoors. Creamy yellow polenta - slow-stirred for nearly an hour until silky and thick - is poured into the centre of the table or onto individual boards, then generously crowned with a bold, slow-cooked meat ragù fragrant with rosemary, bay, and red wine. The polenta absorbs the ragù's juices, becoming even richer with each forkful. This is cucina povera in its most satisfying form - a two-part dish that is far more than the sum of its parts, and a deeply grounding, winterproof meal that belongs to the northern Italian table.
Prep
20 min
Cook
100 min
Total
120 min
Servings
4 srv
Difficulty
Medium
Calories
480 kcal
For 4 serving(s)
Per serving
Make the ragù: heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook the diced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until soft, about 12 minutes. Increase the heat, add the ground beef, and cook until well browned with no moisture remaining.
Pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce by half, then add the tomato passata, bay leaves, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
Reduce the heat to a very low simmer, cover with a lid slightly ajar, and cook for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the ragù is thick and deeply flavourful. Add a splash of water if it thickens too much.
For the polenta, bring 1.2 litres of well-salted water to the boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream.
Reduce the heat to very low and cook, stirring frequently with a long wooden spoon, for 35-40 minutes, until the polenta is thick, creamy, and comes away from the sides of the pan.
Remove from the heat and beat in the butter and Parmesan until incorporated and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve the polenta immediately, spooned into bowls or onto a board, topped with the hot ragù and extra Parmesan.
Sign in to rate this recipe.