The term ragout /ræˈɡuː/ (French ragoût French pronunciation: ​[ʁaɡu]) refers to a main-dish stew. The term comes from the French ragoûter, meaning: "to revive the taste". The Italian ragù (the word being borrowed from French) is a sauce such as Ragù Napoletano used typically to dress pasta.

The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat. The main ingredients are many; ragouts may be prepared with or without meat, a wide variety of vegetables may be incorporated, and they may be more or less heavily spiced and seasoned.

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