Is marinara sauce the same as Ragu?
In this article, we will answer the following question: Is marinara sauce the same as Ragu? We will discuss the differences between the two types of sauces and teach you how to make them at home.
Is marinara sauce the same as Ragu?
What is the difference between Ragu and marinara sauce? It’s not simply that Ragu has meat and marinara doesn’t, since we can make a so-called “meat marinara.” So what is the difference?
Ragu sauce is a complex sauce built around meat. Recipes vary widely but generally involve dairy, wine, and stocks, as well as a small proportion of tomato and a ton of meat.
Some cooks make Ragu with meat, bacon, and cream, as well as a mix of celery, carrots, and onions, reduced per hour (at least four). It ends up rich, deep, complex, and abundant. It is large enough to present itself as a dish in its own right, although Radu is often simply an item in dishes like lasagna.
Unlike, marinara is a simple, quick-cooking sauce built around the bright, tangy taste of tomatoes. You can make a very good marinara out of just tomato, olive oil, and a little garlic (some might argue that garlic is even optional). Unlike long simmer bolognese, marinara can be made in under an hour.
It works well in light pasta dishes or in breaded sauce cutlets, anywhere you don’t want the rich, animal protein flavor of Bolognese to take over. Careful, adding the ground beef results in marinara, but never call it a Ragu!
Homemade marinara sauce
To make your own Marinara sauce you will need:
- Four 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes with basil, preferably from San Marzano
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 6 tablespoons chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
- Pinch of dried oregano
Steps to follow:
- Remove tomatoes from the can and place in a large bowl, reserving juices. Crush the tomatoes with your hands; remove and discard the hardcore from the end of the stem, and any resistant layers and membranes; set aside.
- Place the oil in a large, non-reactive saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until soft and just starting to brown about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until soft, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and reserved juices; season with salt. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.
- Add the basil, if using, the oregano, and season with pepper; continue cooking 1 minute more. Remove from the fire and serve.
Other FAQs about Sauces which you may be interested in.
Is marinara sauce the same as Napolitana?
Is marinara and pasta sauce the same?
Is marinara sauce bad for acid reflux?
Homemade Ragu sauce
Ingredients for ragu sauce:
- 1500g minced beef and pork
- 4 pcs. (200g) onion
- 1 pc. (100g) carrots
- 1 pc. (150g) parsley root
- 1 pc. (100g) celery root
- 2 pcs. (800g) canned tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
- 0.2 liters (200g) dry red wine
- 4 teaspoons (20g) sea salt
- 1 teaspoon (5g) ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (9g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (2g) dried oregano
- 8 teaspoons (16g) dried basil
Steps to prepare
1.) In a saucepan add two tablespoons of olive oil and minced pork and beef and cook over medium heat until the water left by it evaporates.
2.) Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley or we can use the automatic mincer from a food processor.
3.) Add a glass of red wine over the hardened meat and keep it over medium heat until the wine has evaporated.
4.) Add the minced vegetables, salt, pepper, and dried oregano over the meat seasoned well and flavored well with the red wine.
5.) Keep on medium heat for five minutes and then add two cans of peeled tomatoes. We fill the emptied cans with water and add it over the minced meat.
6.) To balance the tomatoes’ acidity, add a teaspoon of sugar, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about two hours.
7.) After two hours of simmering, remove the lid from the pan, add the basil and continue to cook for a few minutes until the consistency of the gravy is appropriate.
8.) The ragu sauce can be served with pasta over which you can grate a little Parmesan cheese. Good appetite!
The bottom line
Ragu sauce is a complex sauce built around meat. Recipes vary widely but generally involve dairy, wine, and stocks, as well as a small proportion of tomato and a ton of meat. On the other hand, marinara sauce is a simple, quick-cooking sauce built around the bright, tangy taste of tomatoes. You can make a very good marinara out of just tomato, olive oil, and a little garlic.
Marinara sauce is slightly spicy, sweet, sour, it is an ideal tomato sauce for everything, pasta, meatballs, even for those who fast with a peasant cake and why not for pizza. Once you have to try it and you will suddenly fall in love with it. Simple to make with ingredients available to anyone, it will surely succeed even the most clumsy in the kitchen!
Ragu sauce is a meat-based sauce for pasta, originally from Bologna, Italy. Traditionally, the sauce is intended for fresh tagliatelle pasta or lasagna. Less traditional, but just as delicious, the sauce is paired with durum wheat pasta of all kinds: penne, macaroni, or others.
Which one do you choose? Marinara or Ragu sauce? Please let us know what your option is in the comments section below!
References
Lacucinaitaliana.com
Gourmetproject.net
