Sugo di Carne
Enjoy an amazing Italian dish of Sugo di Carne, made with rich, savory flavors of butter, beef, onions tomatoes, and wine! Simple ingredients! Serve with penne pasta (or favorite pasta), topped with cheese and parsley. It’s the ultimate dinner party dish that feeds a crowd.
I love a tried and true pasta dish to serve company! Sugo di Carne means “gravy of meat” English, a meat sauce that’s a staple of Italian cuisine, especially in Tuscany. The sauce is out of this world, made with very simple ingredients (beef bottom round, butter, onions, and wine), also known as ragù or Bolognese, depending on the region.
Sugo di Carne
We’ve been making this Sugo so Carne since for a very long time (this recipe has been on our blog since 2014). It’s always a holiday favorite. This recipe originally it came from Bon Appetit’s “RSVP: Readers’ Favorite Restaurant Recipes” from their December 2007 edition.
This recipe was first inspired from Caffe Mingo, in Portland, Oregon–one of our favorite restaurants to visit when we go to the city. I love that you can make this recipe days ahead of serving (it tastes even better), and that all you have to do is cook your favorite pasta.
Why I love this recipe
- Our guests will often say, “bring back Sunday supper.”
- Recipe is so easy to make ahead (days ahead).
- The longer it sits, the better the flavor.
- You can serve this sauce over any pasta.
When you mention Italian (or Sunday) meat sauce, most people will immediately think of those monuments of Italian cooking, the ragù alla napoletana and the ragù alla bolognese, sauces that require hours of cooking and an elaborate preparation. So we really love this dish for special occasions.
Gather these ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Beef bottom round (beef top round roast is another option!)
- Red onions
- Bottle of Chianti wine (or other fruity wine)
- Can of whole tomatoes
- Brewed espresso (we use Storyville coffee)
- Dark chocolate (our secret ingredients)
- Penne pasta, (we use DeLallo)
- Parmesean cheese
- Fresh parsley
How to make Sugo di Carne
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook beef until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. (Use 1 stick of butter, divided with the batches of meat.) Transfer beef to large bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the other stick of butter to pot and melt. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot. Add wine, tomatoes with juice, and espresso. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
- Braise beef until tender, about 2 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl and with 2 forks, shred the beef.
- Take the juices and puree in blender (I use my Vitamix). Pour the sauce back into the dutch oven.
- Return beef to the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the secret ingredient: Add about 2-4 ounces of premium dark chocolate and allow to melt into the sauce.
- Cook Pasta: Cook in pot of salted boiling water until tender, but still firm to bite. Use a pasta with ridges to adhere to sauce. Divide pasta among 12 shallow bowls, spoon meat sauce over, and serve, or serve in one large bowl.
Tips and substitutions
- This espresso braised beef pasta dish is delightful. Make the sauce recipe up to three days in advance and let the flavors steep!
- You can halve the recipe, or freeze half of the meat mixture before adding to the pasta.
- My favorite cut is beef top round roast (boneless) which is usually less costly than beef bottom round, and to my taste is more tender and savory.
- We only use Storyville Coffee beans, so making two cups of rich, dark, robust espresso just makes the sauce even better.
- Use your favorite pasta (we love Delallo brand).
- After you braise the meat, you blend or mill the sauce. Secret to blending hot stuff? Never put the lid on the blender. Hold a paper towel over the top and blend on “low.” That way it won’t explode! (I’ve done this too many times with hot soups.)
- What is the secret ingredient? We learned this in France last year, to add a hunk of dark chocolate. It really adds to the flavor!
Storage
Store in the refrigerator in airtight container for up to 3-5 days! The flavor gets better and better. You can also freeze what you don’t use. We often will freeze half of the sauce. It’s easy to defrost and serve for an another amazing meal.
Serving
- Make ahead 3 days if you can for best flavor. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before serving.
- Garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.
Keep the meal simple! We love to serve this pasta dish with an epic green salad, hot herb bread, and a good glass of wine. Very simple with robust flavors.
TWO WAYS TO SERVE: Optional to serve this with the sauce mixed into the pasta (see some of the photos), or you can serve pasta in the dish, and add the sauce, cheese, and parsley on top. We love to serve this in soup bowls, because the sauce can run on the plate. Althought that is not a bad thing.
More pasta dishes to try while you are here
- Pot Roast Pasta
- Healthy Ground Chicken Pasta
- 4-ingredient Pasta Bake
- Rustic Chicken Penne Pasta
Get the Recipe:
Sugo di Carne
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks
- 1 5-pound beef bottom round, cut into 2 inch cubes (beef top round roast is another option!)
- 3 large red onions, halved, thinly sliced
- 1 750 ml bottle Chianti or other fruity wine
- 1 28 oz peeled tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup brewed espresso
- 2-4 oz premium dark chocolate, optional
- 2 pounds penne pasta, or your favorite kind (I use DeLallo brand)
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large ovenproof dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook beef until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. (Use 1 stick of butter, divided with the batches of meat.) Transfer beef to large bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the other stick of butter to pot and melt. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Return browned beef and any accumulated juices back into the pot. Add wine, tomatoes with juice, and espresso. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
- Braise beef until tender, about 2 hours. After 2 hours, using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl and with 2 forks, shred the beef. Set aside.
- Take the juices from the pot and puree in blender (I use my Vitamix), then pour the sauce back into the pot.
- Secret STEP: If you want to add a secret ingredient to the sauce, add 2-4 oz of premium dark chocolate. Allow to melt.
- Return the shredded beef back into the pot with the sauce. Mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- COOK THE PASTA: Cook pasta in pot of salted boiling water until tender, but still firm to bite. Try to use a pasta with ridges to adhere to sauce.
- When ready to serve, add pasta to individual bowls, and add sauce on top; garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Or, you can add the cooked pasta to the sauce and gently mix together and serve.
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
This looks amazing! I am not a coffee drinker though as I don’t like the flavor of it. Can this be made without the espresso or something used in its place?
You can skip the coffee, it might taste a bit different, but make sure and add the chocolate!
What a winner.., and SO easy. This is spectacularly just like the fan-favorite dish from Mingo! Now if I could find their Caesar salad recipe.