Maccheroncini di Campofilone pasta with Marchigiano ragù.
Maccheroncini di Campofilone pasta with Marchigiano ragù is a traditional recipe from the Le Marche region in Central Italy. Made with chicken, beef and pork, this rich slow cooked Marche-style ragù is so full of flavour. And the pasta is melt in your mouth delicious!
The Pasta.
Maccheroncini di Campofilone is a traditional egg pasta from the Medieval town of Campofilone. This pasta dates back to the 1400s. Interestingly, most types of egg pasta were originally made to be used while fresh. However, this ultra-fine ribbon pasta was invented as a way to have dried egg pasta all through the year.
Today, this pasta is dried flat on sheets of special parchment paper and sold wrapped in paper inside a characteristic cardboard box with a plastic window through which you can see the pasta. You can read more about the history of maccheroncini di Campofilone if you click here.
Of course, you can use other types of pasta with Marchigiano ragù. I would recommend you use a pasta that is similar to the one I used. Thin ribbons like tagliolini or strands such as spaghetti or even angel hair.
The ragu.
Traditionally maccheroncini di Campofilone is eaten with a meat sauce known as ragù Marchigiano (Marche-style ragu). This ragù is considered a rival to Bolognese sauce. The main difference lies in the fact that for Bolognese sauce Italians use only pancetta and beef skirt or a mix of ground beef and pork. Instead, in Marchigiano ragù, it is customary to put in a bigger mixture of meats.
Recipes can include a combination of veal, beef, chicken pieces and giblets, pork meat and ribs, sausages, lardo and sometimes, even duck meat. Many recipes also add a beef marrow bone to the sauce.
The recipe I have used here, I found on the website of a producer of maccheroncini di Campofilone. It’s a simpler version of the official Marche-style ragu recipe which you can find on the Accademia Italiana della Cucina website. However, I did change one ingredient which was the chicken giblets. Although chicken giblets are pretty traditional, I made this pasta with Marchigiano ragù with ground chicken instead. I’m not a big fan of chicken giblets in sauce. However, you can add them or replace the ground chicken with giblets if you like them.
Other ingredients.
Many recipes for pasta with Marchigiano ragù are seasoned with spices such as cloves or nutmeg. The recipe I followed didn’t include these spices. Instead, I used fresh rosemary, parsley, sage and marjoram.
As with many of my tomato based sauces, I like to use a combination of fresh cherry tomatoes and passata. The original of this recipe called for 500 g of peeled tomatoes. You can use fresh peeled tomatoes, canned peeled tomatoes or a combination of fresh and passata as I did.
The longer you let it simmer, the richer it will be!
Cooking Marchigiano ragù.
Like most Italian ragù recipes, this sauce requires long slow cooking. The longer you let it simmer, the richer it will be. So, for a really flavourful sauce, plan for 2-3 hours of stove-top cooking time. The results are so delicious the time it takes is definitely worth it!
If you do try this Marchigiano ragu recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon Appetito!
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This traditional recipe from the Le Marche region in Central Italy is made with a chicken, beef and pork slow cooked ragù and melt in your mouth delicious pasta!
- 300 g maccheroncini di Campofilone (11oz) or spaghetti
- 1-2 carrots finely chopped
- 1-2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 100 g ground beef (3.5oz)
- 100 g ground chicken (3.5oz) or chicken giblets
- 100 g ground pork 3.5oz)
- 1-2 beef marrow bones
- 500 g sauce tomatoes fresh peeled or canned
- fresh parsley
- fresh marjoram
- fresh rosemary
- fresh sage
- 1/2 glass white wine
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 100 g pecorino cheese grated
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In a deep skillet or dutch oven, brown the chopped onion in the olive oil, then add the chopped carrot and celery, salt and pepper. Add the beef bone and all the other meats. Then add a bunch of rosemary, marjoram, sage and parsley.
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Cook stirring frequently until all the meat is browned. ( I started in a deep frying pan and then transferred the sauce to my Dutch oven to finish and simmer)
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Add the wine. When the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomatoes. Cook partly covered over a low heat for 2-3 hours. Stir the sauce every now and again and if it seems dry add a little water. When the sauce is ready, remove the beef marrow bone.
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Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the maccheroncini until al dente (usually 1 minute) When the pasta is ready drain it and add to the pan with the sauce. ( I put the sauce back into a deep frying pan to make this easier as I cooked it in my Dutch oven)
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Mix together carefully and serve immediately sprinkled with grated pecorino.
You can use other types of pasta with Marchigiano ragù. I would recommend you use a pasta that is similar to the one I used. Thin ribbons like tagliolini or strands such as spaghetti or even angel hair.
I used a combination of cherry tomatoes and passata, but the original recipe calls for peeled tomatoes. You can use either variant.
Pin for Later
The pasta looks spectacular and simply delicious. Makes a perfect dinner at weekends.
This pasta recipe is so full of flavor but so simple to make – we absolutely loved it!!
We love pasta. This recipe looks delicious. I know my family would enjoy this hearty recipe any night of the week.
I am falling in love with this pasta dish! All the flavors you have combined has me drooling on my keyboard.
My mouth is watering just from a thought about this pasta – it must be so flavorsome and delicious! Definitely the recipe I will make next time I decide to fix pasta – thank you!
I think recipes form Central Italy are my favorite. I can’t believe how many delicious pasta recipes there are there! And it is very seldom that I am mixing pork, chicken and beef, so great to have this recipe handy!
Yum! Love the use of marrow bones. They bring soooo much flavour. I can’t wait to try this.
I love that you use bone marrow in this recipe. It adds such great flavor and a nice depth. Thanks for sharing!
Pasta with red and white meat, what a great idea!
This dish is so beautiful and comforting! I love that you added bone marrow, it adds so much flavor to dishes.
Gorgeous sauce – everyone at our dinner table loved it! I did not include the marrow bone just because they’re really hard to find where I live. The first taste of this pasta sauce brought me right back to when I was a kid and a family friend – who had moved from Italy to Canada – made pasta sauce which she would simmer for hours and hours. Just once, it felt good to slow down and make a pasta sauce that took hours rather than minutes. My daughter has already asked me to keep this recipe for her for when she moves out. 🙂
I love the white wine and the bone marrow in the sauce. I imagine this as being really rich and so satisfying. I haven’t made sauce like this before, but it sounds wonderful.
This looks delicious! I love all of the fresh herbs and the mix of meats. You’re kitchen must smell wonderful!
I love good pasta dish, especially with lots of herbs which adds tons of good flavours to it. Such a comforting and tasty looking dish.
I’m learning so much about different Italian cuisine from your blog. amazing recipe and with 3 different meats used to make the rich sauce.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a pasta with three different proteins. I’m excited to try something new with so many delicious flavors.
Genius idea with the bone marrow! Adds incredible flavor! This looks like the perfect way to enjoy a pasta craving!
This sounds like it must have such wonderful depth of flavor. And the history is so interesting too.
This is totally my kind of comfort food. You just can’t beat a big bowl of pasta!
I love a good pasta dish! We eat it a lot at our house and I love trying new ones too so I cannot wait to try it!
Carrots, onion and celery provide such a fantastic base for ragú. I love all the different meats you added in, would love to try it!
Oh, man! This one looks so amazing! I bet the marrow bone adds so much flavor to this glorious ragu! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Another awesome pasta recipe you have given us. This looks hearty
oh my that ragu looks incredible. what a rich and delicious sauce. i feel like i could just eat it with a spoon LOL!
This recipe sounds amazing. Where do you find the bone with marrow? Is this something you can ask a butcher for?
Wow, the flavors in the ragu sauce were so delicious! I made mine with zucchini noodles to make it gluten free and it turned out great!
Your blog is so cool! I’d never heard of this pasta sauce but now I have to try it (I love Bolognese). Ground chicken mixed with the red meats is so interesting, I am so intrigued!
Pasta is my love language. When its served with a hearty sauce — OH MY GOODNESS. This looks so good. I am going to make a batch of pasta tonight.
Man that has got to be fabulous! Three different kind of meats! Pinned and on my ‘to cook’ list!
This is the real deal! I love cooking Italian food at home and this one is going straight on the to-cook list! Thanks for sharing!
This sounds so delicious! I love learning the history of foods so I really appreciate this post! It’s all so interesting!
This recipe is just loaded with rich, delicious flavor! What a great authentic recipe for Sunday dinner with the whole family!
I didn’t realize there was so many different ways to prepare pasta. But love the thick chunky sauces.
I like pasta with ragu sauces and this one sounds very tasty!