Chinese-Italian Ragu
Updated Oct 03, 2026
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Chinese-Italian Ragu is a slow-simmered meat and tomato sauce that combines classic Italian ragu with Chinese flavors from Sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and warming spices. Serve it with pasta for a rich, savory dinner that’s even better the next day.
If you love fusion pasta recipes, try my Chinese-Italian Creamy Chili Oil Pasta or Gochujang Vodka Pasta next.
🐝 Quick Look: Chinese-Italian Ragu
- What it is: A slow-simmered meat and tomato ragu with Chinese-inspired spices and seasonings.
- Why you’ll love it: Rich, savory, deeply flavorful, and even better the next day.
- Time: 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes cook time, 2 hours simmering, 2 hours 50 minutes total.
- Main ingredients: Ground beef, pancetta, fennel, tomatoes, and Sichuan peppercorns.
- Best for: Cozy dinners, weekends, or making ahead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A fun twist on classic ragu: This starts with familiar Italian ingredients like pancetta, tomatoes, and garlic then adds Sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and warming spices for a Chinese-inspired twist.
- Worth the simmer: Most of the cook time is hands-off, and the long simmer gives the sauce so much flavor. It’s even better the next day, so this is a great one to make ahead.
- Not your usual pasta night: I love recipes that pull flavors from different cuisines. If you do too, try my Miso Calabrian Chili Shrimp Pasta or Garlic Butter Umami Orzo next.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with exact quantities.
- Sichuan Peppercorns: These have a citrusy, floral flavor and are one of the ingredients that gives this ragu its Chinese-inspired twist. Toasting them before grinding brings out even more flavor.
- Shaoxing Wine: A Chinese rice wine that adds depth and savory flavor to the ragu. It’s also used to deglaze the pot after browning the beef and tomato paste.
- Oyster Sauce: Adds a concentrated savory, slightly sweet umami flavor that works really well with the rich tomato and beef sauce.
- Fennel: I use the stalks in place of the celery you’d typically find in a classic carrot, celery, and onion base. They have a subtle anise flavor that works especially well with the fennel seeds and star anise. Save the fronds for garnishing the finished ragu, and use the bulb to make my Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Fennel and Tomato.
Tips and Substitutions
- Chinese five-spice shortcut: Don’t want to toast and grind the individual spices? Use 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder plus 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes instead.
- Shaoxing wine substitute: Dry sherry is the best substitute and can be used in the same amount.
- Try Italian sausage: Replace half of the ground beef with Italian sausage for even more flavor. Since the sausage, pancetta, soy sauce, and oyster sauce all add salt, season carefully and adjust the salt to taste at the end.
- Adjust the consistency: This sauce reduces quite a bit during its long simmer. Add more water as needed if it gets thicker than you’d like.
- Serve it with pasta: One batch of ragu is enough for about 1 pound of dried pasta, such as spaghetti. I like to toss the pasta with the ragu, then add another scoop of sauce on top. Finish with grated Parmesan, fennel fronds, and Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp or your favorite chili oil.
- Make it ahead: This is one of those sauces that tastes even better the next day, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead.
How to Make Chinese-Italian Ragu
See the recipe card below for full instructions and exact amounts.
Toasted Spices
- Toast the Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and dried chili peppers in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.
- Set aside the star anise and dried chili peppers, then grind the Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, and fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle.
- Combine the ground toasted spices with the salt and white pepper and set aside until ready to use.
Ragu
- Cook the pancetta until browned and the fat has rendered, then transfer it to a plate.
- Cook the carrots, fennel stalks, and onion in the rendered pancetta fat until softened.
- Add the ground spices and garlic, followed by the ground beef. Cook until the beef is mostly browned, then stir in the tomato paste.
- Deglaze with the Shaoxing wine, then add the crushed tomatoes, water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, remaining seasonings, and cooked pancetta.
- Bring the ragu to a simmer, then partially cover and cook over low heat for 2–3 hours.
- Stir occasionally and add more water as needed until the ragu is thick and rich.
Recipe FAQs
What does Chinese-Italian Ragu taste like?
It has the rich, savory tomato and beef base you’d expect from a ragu, but with Chinese-inspired flavors from Sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, white pepper, and warming spices. The result is savory, aromatic, and a little unexpected without losing that cozy ragu feel.
Is Chinese-Italian Ragu spicy?
The ragu has some warmth from the dried red chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, but I wouldn’t consider it very spicy. For more heat, serve it with your favorite chili oil or chili crisp.
What kind of pasta is best with Chinese-Italian Ragu?
I love this ragu with spaghetti, but it also works well with other shapes that can hold up to a hearty meat sauce, such as rigatoni, pappardelle, or tagliatelle.
Can I freeze Chinese-Italian Ragu?
Yes. Let the ragu cool completely, then freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat it directly from frozen over low heat. Add a splash of water as needed as it reheats.
More Fusion Recipes
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30 Minute Miso Calabrian Chili Shrimp Pasta
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Gochujang Vodka Pasta
Chinese-Italian Ragu
Chinese-Italian Ragu is a rich, slow-simmered meat sauce with Sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, and other Chinese-inspired flavors.
Ingredients
Toasted Spices
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan Peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Whole Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 2 Star Anise
- 2 Dried Red Chili Peppers
Ragu
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 ounces Pancetta, diced
- 1 cup Carrots, finely diced (about 2 small or 1 large carrot)
- 1 cup Fennel Stalks, finely diced
- 1 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 pound Ground Beef, 90% lean recommended
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon White Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- ¼ cup Shaoxing Wine
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes, 1 can
- 2 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Bay Leaf
Instructions
- Toast the spices: Add the Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and dried red chili peppers to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove the star anise and dried chili peppers and set aside. Grind the Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, and fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle.
- Cook the pancetta: Add the olive oil and pancetta to a cold Dutch oven. Place over medium heat and cook for 7–10 minutes, reducing the heat as needed, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is browned. Transfer to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the carrots, fennel stalks, and onion. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic, ground toasted spices, salt, and white pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Brown the beef: Add the ground beef and break it into small crumbles. Cook for about 5 minutes, until mostly browned.
- Add the tomato paste and wine: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, until it darkens slightly. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook briefly, until the wine has reduced slightly.
- Build the ragu: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, reserved star anise, reserved dried chili peppers, and cooked pancetta. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed if the ragu becomes too thick.
- Finish: Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, star anise, and dried chili peppers. Taste and add additional salt as needed.
Video
Notes
- No mortar and pestle: Let the toasted Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, and fennel seeds cool slightly, then grind them in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Alternatively, place them in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin or heavy pan. They don’t need to be finely ground, but make sure no large pieces of clove remain.
- Chinese five-spice shortcut: For a shortcut, substitute 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes for the toasted spices, cinnamon stick, and dried red chili peppers. Skip Step 1 and add the five-spice powder and red pepper flakes with the garlic in Step 4.
- Shaoxing wine: Dry sherry is the best substitute for Shaoxing wine and can be substituted 1:1.
- Adjust the liquid as needed: Start with 2 cups water. The ragu will reduce differently depending on your pot, heat, and simmer time, so add more water as needed during cooking if it becomes too thick.
- Salt: Pancetta, soy sauce, and oyster sauce all add salt, so start with the amount listed and adjust to taste at the end.
- Make ahead, storage & reheating: This ragu is even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serving with pasta: One batch of ragu is enough for about 1 pound of dried pasta. Toss the cooked pasta with the ragu, then spoon additional ragu over each serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 726mg, Potassium: 941mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 4014IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 100mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
This recipe is PACKED with flavor! It tastes even better if you make it the day before. I hope you enjoy!