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    Home » Recipes » Italian and American Pasta

    Bison Ragu

    Published: Jun 22, 2023 by Vinny · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    What's better than a tasty and healthy bison ragu served over your favorite type of pasta?

    bison ragu in dutch oven

    Bison is a great source of vitamin B12, zinc, iron, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids. It's also lower in saturated fatty acids than beef. If you like switching your meat up try our Quick Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle!

    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe
    • Substitutions and Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Bison Ragu
    • How to reheat Bison Ragu?
    • More Delicious Braised Meats!
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Reviews

    Why This Recipe

    Making ragu is a great way to use meats that can typically be tougher. Whenever I'm working with very lean meat, my first thought is to braise it. Just like my Authentic Bolognese and my Italian Short Ribs with Gnocchi, this bison ragu is a great way to start braising meat. You don't HAVE to use bison either. This works well with lamb, elk, beef, and sausage.

    We never had sauce without meat when we were growing up. Every sauce my dad made was a ragu of sorts. He always said the secret to a good Sunday Sauce is the meat. A good sauce always has meat. I agree with him. Meat in the sauce is a cheat code. The meat is always going to develop the sauce into some great flavors.

    There's a little more to it than just the meat though. Simmering the meat in the red wine, having the right ratio of vegetables, and caramelizing the tomato paste. All of these little nuances will help develop your sauce-making skills into a phenomenal sauce that you're family will love. Layer in all the right ingredients always makes for a deeper and more complex flavor, just like in our Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms.

    Substitutions and Ingredient Notes

    Grass Fed Bison
    • Bison. Yes, this is Bison Ragu. But, you can substitute any red meat here and it will work all the same!
    • Whole Plum Tomatoes. You can substitute crushed tomatoes or sieved tomatoes. I just prefer whole plum tomatoes over crushed, but sieved tomatoes would go great in this sauce.
    • EVOO. Use a high-quality EVOO like Partanna. I always recommend them whenever I'm working with anything olive oil-related.
    • Red Wine. Always use a decent red wine and a dry red wine. Never use the cheap stuff. You will taste it in the end product. If you don't like the taste when you drink it, you won't like the taste when you eat it!

    *Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

    bison ragu

    How to Make Bison Ragu

    The best part about making Ragu is the amazing aroma that will permeate your house for hours. It smells almost as good as it tastes!

    Pancetta and Vegetables

    In a large saucepan or Dutch oven on medium heat, add pancetta and fry until golden brown, stirring often. You want all sides of the pancetta to be golden brown. Once golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil. Leave the small amount of oil behind and add 2 tablespoon of EVOO to it. Then stir in the onion, celery, and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Saute the vegetables until soft and the onions translucent. Stir in the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.

    Browning the Bison

    We'll add the bison, directly to the vegetables. Break apart the bison with a spoon. Add a pinch of salt. Cook until just browned, stirring often. There will be some liquid that builds up in the pot. That's normal, just keep stirring and it will evaporate. Add the tomato paste once the bison is browned and stir throughout. Allow it to cook and caramelize for 2-3 more minutes. Then add the red wine and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until the red wine is almost completely absorbed. It will take about 6-8 minutes.

    Simmering the Sauce

    Using your hands or an immersion blender, crush the plum tomatoes. Pour into the sauce and return the sauce to a simmer. Add the pancetta, basil, and a pinch of salt. Simmer the sauce for 2-3 hours on low heat slightly covered. If you notice it starts getting too dry and a little bit of water. Stir every 15 minutes or so to keep the bottom of the sauce from burning.

    Sauce to Pasta

    In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt and your pasta. Boil as directed. Add ½ cup of pasta water to the ragu and stir. Then add your pasta to the sauce and stir until combined. Serve with pecorino romano cheese! And a big crusty loaf of Italian bread.

    bison ragu in dutch oven

    How to reheat Bison Ragu?

    In a small saucepan add the ragu. If it already is mixed with pasta, that's fine too. Add it to the pan and bring to medium heat. Add a bit of water and EVOO to loosen the sauce up and heat all the way through.

    Ragu is one of my favorite dishes! If you made this dish and enjoyed it, please come back and leave a rating below! I love to hear about what you think of our dishes. Here are some other dishes you may enjoy below!

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    📖 Recipe

    bison ragu

    Bison Ragu

    Vincent DelGiudice
    What's better than a healthy ragu filled with delicious braised and tender bison and vegetables.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 5 servings
    Calories 713 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 dutch oven or large saucepan
    • 1 large pot

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb ground bison
    • ¼ lb chopped pancetta
    • 1 lb rigatoni or other pasta
    • 1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes
    • 1 cup red wine
    • ¾ cup chopped carrots, about 2 carrots
    • ¾ cup chopped celery, about 2 celery stalks
    • 1 cup chopped onion, about one medium onion
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 tbsp tomato paste
    • 2 tbsp EVOO
    • 1 handful basil

    Instructions
     

    • In a large saucepan on medium heat, add pancetta and fry until golden brown, stirring often. Once golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil. Add 2 tablespoon of EVOO. Then stir in the onion, celery, and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Saute the vegetables until soft and the onions translucent. Stir in the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
    • Add the bison, directly to the vegetables. Break apart the bison with a spoon. Add a pinch of salt. Cook until just browned. Then add tomato paste and stir throughout. Allow it to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Then add the red wine and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until the red wine is almost completely absorbed.
    • Using your hands or an immersion blender, crush the plum tomatoes. Pour into the sauce and return the sauce to a simmer. Add the pancetta, basil, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 2-3 hours.
    • In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt and your pasta. Boil as directed. Add ½ cup of pasta water to the ragu and stir. Then add your pasta to the sauce and stir until combined. Serve with pecorino romano cheese!

    Notes

    1. Add the pancetta to the cold pan and bring it to medium heat to perfectly render the fat and get golden brown pancetta. 
    2. Taste the sauce occasionally to see if more salt needs to be added. It is normal to add salt through the cooking process. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 713kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 34gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 295mgPotassium: 823mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3405IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?We'd love for you to Leave a Review!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mark

      April 29, 2025 at 10:03 pm

      5 stars
      Made this recipe, was excellent. Used a nice chianti classico and gave it a sweet flavor. Will save this one

      Reply
    2. Kelly

      December 26, 2024 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      Made several times, one of our favorites!

      Reply
    3. Vinny

      May 26, 2024 at 1:50 am

      5 stars
      A braised bison ragu recipe that is so easy and delicious! Absolutely worth the wait. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes

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    Vinny in the Kitchen.

    Vinny DelGiudice, MS CCC-SLP

    My name is Vinny. I am an Italian-American home cook, a photographer, and previously, a speech pathologist specializing in swallowing and voice disorders. I share the recipes I grew up eating in my home and the recipes that I cook for my family. Always From Scratch is about cooking homemade meals and eating with family.

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