Tagliatelle al Ragù

Spaghetti bolognese = bad. Tagliatelle al ragú = good! This dish epitomises simple food done well. Buy good ingredients, cook them with love and care, and something seemingly simple becomes very special.

I make this all winter long. I usually make a double batch of the sauce and freeze some more later. I don’t always make my own pasta but I often do. It’s a calming way to spend an afternoon.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the pasta :

300g 00 Flour

3 eggs

For the ragù:

1 medium white onion

2 stalks celery

2 medium carrots

45g butter

3 tbsp olive oil

200g lardons or finely chopped streaky bacon

500g minced beef

350ml dry white wine

150ml full-fat milk

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

400ml tomato passata (or blend a 400g tin chopped tomatoes)

Directions:

Place the flour onto a clean work surface and scoop out a well in the middle. Crack the eggs into it. Use a fork to whisk in the eggs, until they have incorporated enough to use your hands. (I often do this in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs).

Gently knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and springy. Cover with cling film or an up-turned bowl and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days in the fridge.

Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, and roll to the thinnest setting on your pasta maker. Lightly dust with flour as you go to prevent sticking. Go over it twice on each setting to ensure it’s even. Cut into ribbons about 6mm thick. Twist into a ‘nest’ and lightly dust with more flour to prevent sticking. Either use right away or freeze wrapped in cling film for future use.

To make the ragù sauce, peel the onion and carrot and roughly chop. Chop off the ends of the celery and roughly chop. (I also give my celery a quick peel to avoid stringy bits). Put the vegetables into the bowl of a food processor and process until you have a chunky paste. (You can chop finely by hand if you don’t have a food processor. I use one for ease and I prefer the texture when it’s done this way).

Place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and oil. Once the butter has melted add the lardons and fry for 4-5 minutes until crisp and dark golden brown. Add the onion, celery and carrots with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until very soft and reduced in size by about half, 10-15 minutes.

Lower the heat and add the beef to the pan, by bit. At this stage we only cook it enough to lose its red colour - avoid browning. Add the wine, turn up the heat to medium and cook until it has evaporated. Add the milk, nutmeg and bay leaf, and stir until the milk has evaporated. Add the passata, stir well and leave to simmer gently – just a few bubbles at any given time – for at least 90 minutes, or up to 3 hours depending on how concentrated you want it.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the tagliatelle until very al dente, then remove using tongs or a spider, and carefully place into the pot of simmering ragù. Allow some of the starchy cooking liquid to go into the pot as well. Stir well, and cook over the heat for 4-5 minutes, until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has turned glossy. Add more pasta cooking water if you feel it needs it - I usually add another 250ml or so.

Serve with lashings of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.