Tagliatelle al Ragù

Directions

Ragù alla Bolognese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the diced pancetta and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the fat starts to render.
3. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 4–5 minutes until softened.
4. In a separate pan over high heat, add a little olive oil and brown the beef mince in batches. Avoid overcrowding the pan.
5. Transfer the browned mince to the saucepan with the pancetta and vegetables. Mix well, ensuring the meat breaks up evenly.
6. Pour in the red wine and let it reduce by about 80%.
7. Add the passata to the pot. Fill the passata jar halfway with water, shake it, and pour it in to ensure no sauce is wasted.
8. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring every 15–20 minutes, for at least 2 hours (or up to 4 hours for deeper flavour). Add water as needed to prevent the sauce from drying out or sticking.
9. Just before serving, stir the milk into the ragù over low heat. Be careful not to let it split.
10. In a separate pan, add 2–3 ladles of ragù and the cooked tagliatelle (recipe below). Toss together with a generous pinch of Parmesan and a few torn basil leaves.
11. Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and fresh basil.

Tagliatelle

1. Reserve 10% of your flour (about 60g / ½ cup) to use during mixing and rolling.

2. Weigh out the remaining flour and pour it onto a clean work surface.
3. Use a bowl to create a well in the centre of the flour.
4. Crack the 6 eggs into the well and add a pinch of salt.
5. Use a fork to break the yolks and whisk the eggs, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges of the well to avoid lumps.
6. Once the mixture thickens and becomes less liquid, use a bench scraper to cut the remaining flour into the dough.
7. Continue working the dough until it forms a shaggy mass, then begin kneading by hand.
8. Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until it becomes smooth, tight, and elastic.
9. Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a doubled-over tea towel or an upturned bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
10. After resting, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
11. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out one piece of dough to roughly 30 x 20cm (12 x 8 inches).
12. Laminate the dough by folding it lengthways into thirds, like folding a letter.
13. Roll the laminated dough out again to an even thickness of about 1mm (as thin as possible).
14. Lightly dust the dough with flour, roll it up, and cut into tagliatelle strips 6–7 mm (¼ inch) wide.
15. Separate the strips and dust lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
16. Cover the cut tagliatelle with a tea towel to keep it from drying out while you repeat the process with the remaining dough.
17. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt.
18. Cook the tagliatelle in small batches to avoid overcrowding, boiling for just 2–3 minutes.