Lisa George
Ragu modenese is like ragu bolognese’s lesser known, but no less hot, baby brother. It’s just a simple sofritto, proscuitto, mortadella, pork, broth, and cheese. You won’t believe this magical sauce came from so few ingredients, with so little prep time.
You can read more about ragu modenese at our long form writeup, along with a recipe if you don’t have an instant pot, here.
How to make restaurant quality pasta
One final note: the biggest difference in restaurant quality pasta and the pasta you make at home is how you finish and sauce the pasta. The best way to finish this specific sauce is to cook the pasta 1 minute before the time on the package, then drain the pasta and transfer to a non-stick skillet along with about 1/4-1/2 a cup of sauce per portion. Once the pasta is well sauced, add extra cheese and chili flakes as desired, and plate. Enjoy immediately.
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 small onion
- 1 small carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- 4 ounces Prosciutto di Parma thinly sliced
- 4 ounces mortadella thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 parmigiano rind about two ounces
- 1/2 quart chicken stock no sodium
- 2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano cheese finely grated
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Finely dice your onion, carrots, and celery.
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Mince your proscuitto, mortadella, and ground pork.
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Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and select saute high. Once hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Caramelize, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
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Add the meats, parmigiano rind, and just enough stock to barely cover (about 1/2 qt) to the pot. Cover and set to high pressure for 2 hours and 15 minutes.
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When the time is up, quick release, then remove the parmigiano rind.
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Set the heat to saute high again, and cook, stirring, until the sauce is reduced to your liking, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and enjoy.
