Tagliatelle al ragù
Tagliatelle with a slow-cooked ragù alla bolognese: a soffritto base, a splash of milk and wine, and a lazy two-hour simmer.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 30 min
- Total
- 2 hr 55 min
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50 g pancetta, finely diced (optional)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 500 g minced beef (or half beef, half pork)
- 150 ml dry red or white wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 250 ml beef stock or water
- 100 ml whole milk
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper
- 500 g fresh egg tagliatelle, to serve
- Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the pancetta until the fat renders, then add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook 10–12 minutes until soft and sweet, not browned. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, add the mince and break it up. Let it brown properly, 8–10 minutes, stirring only now and then, until the liquid has cooked off and it starts to stick.
- Pour in the wine and cook until almost fully evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a bare simmer, partly cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if it gets dry.
- Stir in the milk and simmer uncovered for another 15–20 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Remove the bay leaf and adjust the salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the water, and toss it in the pot with the sauce and a splash of pasta water for a minute. Serve with Parmesan.
Always tagliatelle, never spaghetti — the wide, rough ribbons hold the sauce, which just slides off thin strands. Pappardelle works too. Cook it low and slow; the sauce should barely blip. It freezes well and is better the next day.