Rustic Veal Ragu

Name: Rustic Veal Ragu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion finely diced; 3 large garlic cloves minced; 1 pound ground veal (substitute ground pork for milder flavor); Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3/4 cup dry white wine (dry vermouth works if wine is missing); 1 cup low sodium chicken broth; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary; 2 tablespoons chopped capers drained; 1 pound pasta (I prefer pappardelle or rigatoni); 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (instead of Parmigiano); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; Flaky sea salt (like Maldon) for finishing

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 14 February 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Ground veal simmered with herbs, wine & capers tossed with pasta, butter, & Parmigiano for a rich, hearty dish. Savory, with a touch of brightness from fresh parsley. Easy to tweak, full of rustic boldness.

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 40 min

Total: 60 min

Servings: 6 servings

#Italian #pasta #veal #ragu #comfort food #savory #slow cook

Before You Start

Ground veal, earthy and subtle, easily lost without care. So I learned to coax flavor with garlic and onion softened slowly in olive oil — that sweet aromatic base that sets the stage. High heat for browning veal keeps it from stewing in its own juices; evaporation early on is everything. Then the punch: white wine boils down until sharp edges mellow. Herbs and briny capers added last hold their place, not overwhelmed. Pasta cooked just right, never soggy, tossed with butter and cheese, makes a sauce that clings and carries. Always keep pasta water at the ready — a liquid gold when the sauce pulls tight too soon. Each step a balance of timing and senses: sight, smell, touch. I learned these by cooks’ mistakes and successes; now it’s choreography, not guesswork. If you want to swap in pork, no problem; with turkey, beware drying out—add a splash more broth. No herbs fresh? Capers and red pepper flakes to the rescue. Simple ingredients, layered technique. This is work with a purpose.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion finely diced
3 large garlic cloves minced
1 pound ground veal (substitute ground pork for milder flavor)
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine (dry vermouth works if wine is missing)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped capers drained
1 pound pasta (I prefer pappardelle or rigatoni)
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (instead of Parmigiano)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Flaky sea salt (like Maldon) for finishing

About the ingredients

Start with the best ground veal you can find; freshness impacts flavor enormously. Olive oil must be good quality but not necessarily extravagant. Yellow onions are sweeter than white or red, so stick with those. Garlic should be fresh, no shortcuts with powdered. For wine, a dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works well; vermouth can substitute in a pinch but avoid sweet wines. Chicken broth brings body and depth; homemade preferable but store-bought low sodium OK. Fresh thyme and rosemary freshen the dish — dried herbs lack vibrancy here. Capers add bright brine; rinse if too salty. Pasta shapes with texture or wide ribbons hold sauce better; avoid thin, delicate types for this ragù. Cheese-wise, I opted Pecorino for sharper bite; Parmigiano-Reggiano works fine but slightly mellower. Butter adds silkiness but don’t add too early or it’ll separate. Flat-leaf parsley freshens final bite. Maldon or similar flaky sea salt finishes with texture and punch, better than table salt. Minor ingredient variations shift tone but the core flavor profile is all about savory balance and textural contrast.

Method

Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat till it shimmers but not smoking. Toss in onion and garlic. Stir often — they should soften, not brown — about 6 minutes. You’ll smell sweetness and see translucency, no raw edges.
Add ground veal; season aggressively with coarse salt and pepper. Pump heat to high. Brown, breaking up lumps. Veal tightens and exudes moisture. Keep stirring occasionally, cook till no pink remains and liquid dries out; about 9 minutes. This step is crucial. If too wet, sauce will be bland and loose.
Pour in white wine. It should bubble furiously, not steam. Boil down vigorously, stirring occasionally until volume drops by 60%, around 6 minutes. Watch for that deep aroma shift — wine acidity softens but doesn't overpower.
Add chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, and capers. Lower to medium-low heat. Let it simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens and reduces by half. You'll see a glossy coating form; not watery but clingy. About 12 minutes but watch for saucy depth.
While ragu simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water till just shy of tender—al dente is the goal. Drain pasta, reserve 1/2 cup starchy pasta water. Save this—it’s magic for adjusting sauce texture later.
Toss drained pasta into skillet. Add butter, Pecorino Romano, parsley, and splash reserved pasta water. Medium heat, stir constantly. Sauce should bind to noodles and thicken to creamy richness. About 6 minutes. Feel free to add more pasta water if sauce stiffens too quickly.
Taste, adjust salt or pepper. Serve straight from pan with extra flaky sea salt and a dusting of Pecorino. The contrast of salty crunch and smooth sauce is what makes it sing.
If dry wine or no fresh herbs on hand, boost capers or add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. Ground pork or turkey viable swaps but keep fat content in mind for flavor. Always save pasta water. Don’t overcook pasta or sauce turns mushy.

Cooking tips

Softening onions and garlic slowly is non-negotiable — aim for translucent, glossy, no browning. Too hot here ruins base sweetness. For veal, keep heat high enough for evaporation but watch carefully. Too low and you stew; meat tastes bland. Browning adds texture and flavor through Maillard reactions — this step alone defines the ragu base. Deglazing with wine is partly about flavor but mostly about scraping up browned bits stuck to pan; no scraping, no flavor. Reduction concentrates acidity and aroma, use nose as timer. Broth and herbs simmer brings everything together. Watch liquid levels visually — you want glossy coating, not soup. Pasta cooking should be timed by bite, not clock — firm with bite in center. Reserve pasta water always, even small amounts. Butter and cheese fold in off heat, otherwise cheese clumps or melts unevenly. Stirring constantly now binds pasta, sauce, butter, and cheese into a lustrous coating. Season carefully; capers add salt so balance accordingly. Final dish should shine with glossy sauce, salty crunch of flake salt, and fresh herb brightness — not confusing, not dull.

Chef's notes

💡 Onion and garlic soften slow low heat. Watch closely. No browning, just translucent, glossy softness. Sweetness builds here; missed or burnt edges wreck base. Key aroma change signals done. Use heavy skillet for even heat spread.
💡 Brown veal aggressively on high heat. Meat tightens, liquid vanishes. Stir often to break lumps; no steaming or stewing. Too wet means bland sauce later. Moisture lost early ensures depth. Timing here is non-negotiable.
💡 White wine reduces to about 40% original volume. Bubbles furious; sharp aroma mellows. Keep stirring to deglaze pan bits; flavor anchors here. If no wine, vermouth okay but avoid sweet stuff. Residual acidity balances richness.
💡 Add broth and herbs last. Simmer uncovered medium-low. Sauce thickens to clingy gloss, not watery soup. Watch visual texture. Capers last minute or risk overpowering. Rinse capers if too salty to keep balance steady.
💡 Cook pasta al dente, timing by bite not clock. Drain, save starchy water. That water binds sauce, adjusts thickness on the fly. Add butter and cheese off heat to avoid clumps. Stir constantly when folding in pasta water for silkiness.
💡 Salt carefully after cheese and capers added. Each salty ingredient adds up fast. Flaky sea salt finishes with punch and texture contrast; table salt too harsh. Parsley chopped fresh, tossed late, brightens final bite without overwhelming.
💡 Substitutes: Ground pork works if you want softer flavor; turkey dries quickly needs extra broth. No fresh herbs? Boost capers or pinch red pepper flakes for heat. Pasta shape affects sauce cling — wider ribbons hold ragu best; thin noodles get lost.
💡 Reserve even small amounts pasta water. Sauce stiffens fast once butter and cheese melt. Add water dropwise, stir nonstop to loosen without losing creaminess. Butter folds in last to keep silk. Skip adding cheese straight to hot pan or it clumps.

Common questions

How to tell when onions are soft enough?

Look translucent, glossy, no color change edges. Smell sweet, almost fruity. Touch tender with spoon. Too hot burns fast, ruins base. Low and slow, patient for this stage.

Can I use dry herbs instead of fresh?

You can but flavor dulls. Use half amount, add earlier in broth simmer so they hydrate. Fresh herbs later bring brightness that dry miss. No fresh? Boost capers, red pepper flakes help add punch.

What if veal cooks wet, sauce too loose?

Heat too low or pan crowded usually. Brown meat high heat, stir often to evaporate moisture. If still wet, simmer uncovered longer. Thick sauce key for cling, watery sauce ruins texture.

How to store leftovers?

Cool quickly, refrigerate in airtight container 3 days max. Freeze okay several weeks; thaw in fridge overnight. Reheat gently with splash broth or pasta water to keep sauce loose. No microwave blasts, stir often to avoid drying.