Soffritto – the authentic Italian sauce base

Step 1 : The Preparation

Peel the onions and dice them very finely. Next, peel the carrots and dice them finely. Now wash the celery stalks and trim the ends off both sides. Then dice the celery finely as well. The vegetables form the base of the sauce, so be sure to chop them very finely!

Step 2 : Sauté the vegetables

Pour the olive oil into a deep skillet and add the onions. Turn on the stove and sauté the onions, stirring constantly, until translucent. Reduce the heat and let the onions simmer a little longer. Then add the carrots, celery, and butter to the pan.

Step 3 : Season the soffritto with white wine

Sauté the vegetables over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the vegetables brown. If you like, you can deglaze your soffritto with a little white wine; if you don't want to use white wine, you can simply use water instead.

Step 4 : The Finale

Add half of the water to the soffritto and let the vegetables simmer for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, you can gradually add the remaining water. After about 30 minutes, the vegetables will be cooked but still have a little bite.

Now the soffritto is ready to be used in other dishes. It’s the perfect base for pasta sauces and ragù. You can also use it as a filling for meat, adding a wonderfully aromatic touch to the dish.