Tagliatelle with Bolognese Sauce - "Tagliatelle Al Ragu Bolognese"

This is by far the best-known Bolognese recipe which, to be genuine, has to be made with fresh tagliatelle and not spaghetti. This recipe is from "Carluccio’s Complete Italian Food".

Serves 4

• 500g fresh tagliatelle or 400g dried egg tagliatelle
• 60g Parmesan cheese, grated

For the ragu

• 55g butter
• 55g minced prosciutto fat or pancetta
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 100g minced lean veal or beef
• 100g minced lean pork
• 1 glass of dry red wine
• A little beef or chicken stock
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and pepper

 

To make the ragu, heat the butter in a large pan, add the prosciutto fat or pancetta, carrot, celery and onion and fry gently for about 10 minutes. Add the minced meats and stir with a wooden spoon to break them up into smaller chunks.

Cook for about 15 minutes to brown the meat, then add the wine and bubble for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate little. Stir in a little stock to prevent the mixture sticking to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and dilute with a few tablespoons of stock to give a sauce like consistency. Leave to simmer for 1 ½ hours, adding more stock if the mixture becomes dry. At the end of the cooking time, add a little more stock to obtain a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and mix with the sauce. Serve with the Parmesan cheese.