Italy's 10 Best Ragù Dishes — A Carluccio's Guide

Italy's 10 Best Ragù Dishes — A Carluccio's Guide

At Carluccio's, we believe in the simple perfection of Italian cooking. And few dishes embody this more than ragù. More than just a 'meat sauce', ragù is a slow-cooked symphony of meat, aromatic vegetables (the essential soffritto), and sometimes tomato, that transforms humble ingredients into a rich, comforting, and deeply flavourful masterpiece.

It’s a dish of tradition, patience, and regional pride, with countless variations across Italy. To celebrate this culinary stalwart, we’ve put together our guide to ten of Italy's best ragùs. Prepare for a true viaggio culinario—a culinary journey!

The Classics and Regional Heroes

1. Ragù alla Bolognese (Emilia-Romagna)

The undisputed king. Hailing from Bologna, the classic ragù is not served with spaghetti (that's an American invention!), but traditionally with fresh egg Tagliatelle or layered in a glorious Lasagne. Made with a mix of finely minced beef, sometimes veal or pork, pancetta, soffritto, a touch of tomato paste, milk, and wine, it's cooked for hours until it reaches a velvety, profound richness.

2. Ragù Napoletano (Campania)

A world away from its Northern counterpart. Neapolitan ragù is chunkier and deeper in colour, often made with large pieces of beef, pork ribs, and sometimes sausage, slow-cooked in a robust tomato sauce until the meat falls apart. It’s a true Sunday ritual, often served with large, sturdy pasta shapes like Paccheri or Ziti.

3. Ragù di Salsiccia (Various Regions)

Ragù made purely from sausage (salsiccia) is a faster, yet still immensely flavourful, option. The crumbled pork sausage is browned with soffritto and stewed, often with a white wine or light tomato base, creating a sauce bursting with fennel and spice. It's fantastic with Penne or Rigatoni.

4. Ragù alla Cacciatora (Tuscany/Central Italy)

While Cacciatora usually refers to a hunter's stew of chicken or rabbit, the ragù variation adopts the same rustic, wild flavours. It often uses game meat or cuts like pork or lamb, cooked with herbs like rosemary and sage, and a splash of vinegar or wine, giving it a distinctive tang. A hearty, warming sauce.

5. Ragù d'Anatra (Veneto/Northern Italy)

A luxurious sauce from the Veneto region, famous for its slow-cooked duck ragù. The duck is meticulously browned and then simmered in a light base of white wine and herbs. It has a distinctive, delicate gamey flavour that pairs beautifully with wide, porous pasta like Pappardelle or Bigoli.

The Wild & Wonderful

6. Ragù Di Cinghiale (Tuscany/Sardinia)

This is the ragù for the adventurous. Ragù Di Cinghiale is a Tuscan and Sardinian favourite, made with wild boar. The boar meat is first marinated in red wine and herbs to tenderise it and remove any overly strong flavour, then slow-cooked with soffritto and tomatoes. The result is a bold, intensely rich, and slightly sweet ragù that is traditionally matched with wide Pappardelle noodles.

7. Ragù Di Chianina (Tuscany)

Named after the magnificent, pure white Chianina cattle—one of the oldest and largest breeds in the world, famed for their use in Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine steak). Ragù Di Chianina is made exclusively with the beef from this noble breed. It is incredibly tender and flavourful, resulting in a rich, deeply savoury ragù, typically served with rustic pasta. A true Tuscan luxury.

8. Ragù alla Genovese (Campania/Naples)

A beautiful anomaly, this ragù is almost a stew of meat and onions. Hailing from Naples (despite the name), it involves cooking a generous amount of beef and a HUGE quantity of caramelised onions, often with carrots and celery, until they break down into a thick, sweet, and unbelievably rich golden sauce. Served with Ziti or Candele, the meat itself is often served as a separate second course.

The Lighter & Lesser-Known

9. Ragù di Vitello (Calabria/Southern Italy)

A milder but no less satisfying ragù made with veal (vitello). Veal offers a lighter, more delicate flavour compared to beef, which allows the subtle notes of the soffritto, tomatoes, and herbs to shine through. This is often served with shorter pasta shapes like Fusilli or Maccheroni in Southern Italy.

10. Ragù Bianco (Various Regions)

A 'white' ragù, meaning it is made without tomatoes. Often featuring a mix of finely minced pork, veal, and sometimes pancetta, it’s cooked in a white wine or stock base, often finished with a splash of cream or milk. The flavour is cleaner, allowing the quality of the meat and the aroma of the herbs (like thyme or sage) to dominate.

Next time you’re in Carluccio’s, take a moment to savour the story in every bite of our own delicious ragù. It’s more than a meal—it's a little slice of Italy, slow-cooked to perfection.

Buon Appetito!