Updated 2018.
We have discovered the best ragú in Naples. Given the significance of ragú in Italian culture this is an incredibly bold statement and we know it! But we are telling you here first, before some celebrity chef discovers it and puts it on the map! That’s why Dream of Italy membership has its privileges – to get in on the secret places before they become known!
In the February 2017 print newsletter, we reveal where to find this holy grail of Italian cuisine and pay just 6 euros for a taste of heaven. It is a hole-in-the-wall, filled with locals who swear this ragú is even better than what their grandmothers serve on Sundays!
When you think of ragú, you might think of ragù alla bolognese from northern Italy because it is the most famous. In fact, it was just outside of Bologna where the first recipe for ragú was recorded in the 18th century. Alberto Alvisi, the cook for the Cardinial of Imola, created the recipe for ragù per maccheroni (the general term for pasta at the time).
The difference between ragú in northern Italy and that served in/and around Naples is that the northern version uses minced, chopped or ground meat, cooked with sauteed vegetables in a liquid (broth, stock, water, wine, milk, cream or tomato). In Campania, ragú is made from simmering whole cuts of beef, pork or sausage with tomatoes. There is lots of basil in the Neapolitan version as well as red wine instead of white, olive oil, onion and sometimes pine nuts and/or raisins.
We don’t know the exact recipe for our new favorite ragú in Naples, that’s why you should visit for yourself – especially before the rest of the world discovers it!