Ragù is an Italian term for a meat-based sauce, which is traditionally served with pasta. The word is the phonetical Italian spelling of the French ragoût, a noun derived from ragoûter (to revive the taste).
Typical Italian ragù include ragù alla bolognese (sometimes known as Bolognese sauce), Neapolitan ragù (in Italian ragù alla napoletana), and Ragù alla Barese (which contains horse meat). A ragù is usually made by adding meat to a soffritto (a partially-fried mixture of chopped onions, celery, carrots, seasonings, etc.), adding tomatoes and other flavourings. and then simmering for a long time. (A soffritto is the Italian equivalent of the French mirepoix.)
Ragù is eaten in many western countries. Often a simplified version is made by adding meat to a sauce bought in a jar.
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