Tagliatelle with Bolognese Ragù

La storia di questo piatto

In Emilia-Romagna the ragù is a slow, patient embrace, minced beef and pork, pancetta and a soffritto of carrot, celery and onion, softened by milk and deepened by red wine. Ribbons of fresh egg tagliatelle carry it to the table, crowned with Parmigiano Reggiano and a whisper of butter.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Mixed ground meat (beef and pork)
• 100 g Cured pancetta, finely diced
• 150 g Soffritto (carrot, celery, onion)
• 200 g Tomato pulp
• 150 ml Dry red wine
• 100 ml Whole milk
• 300 ml Warm meat broth
• 480 g Fresh egg tagliatelle
• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• q.b. to taste Salt and pepper
• 100 g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 30 g Butter

Preparazione

1. Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion with a knife, do not blend them: they should stay small but intact, so the soffritto has body. Heat the oil with the butter in a large pan, add the chopped pancetta and let it melt gently for a few minutes. Add the chopped vegetables over medium heat, stirring often: when the onion turns translucent and the kitchen fills with a sweet aroma, you are ready to continue.
2. Now add the ground meat to the soffritto and break it up well with a wooden spoon so it doesn't form lumps. Let it brown without stirring too often, so it takes on color on all sides: when no pink parts remain and it sizzles golden, season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the milk over the browned meat and let it cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it has been completely absorbed and no white liquid remains at the bottom: the milk protects the meat and softens its texture.
4. Raise the heat and pour in the red wine, stirring and scraping up with the spoon all the flavors stuck to the bottom of the pan: that is where the best taste hides. Let the sharp smell of alcohol disappear completely, until you smell only the cooked wine and the sauce has reduced.
5. Add the tomato pulp, lower the heat to the minimum and cover the pan leaving a small gap: the ragù must simmer very gently, with just a few lazy bubbles on the surface. This is the time for patience, the true secret of a good ragù: stir from time to time and, when the bottom starts to dry, add a ladle of warm meat broth (about 300 ml in total, in several additions), never cold, otherwise you stop the cooking.
6. When the ragù is ready, the color is deep brown and warm and the fat rises to the surface, the aroma is softer and rounder. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and keep it warm over very low heat.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously: the water should taste of the sea. Add the fresh tagliatelle and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring gently and tasting: they should be tender but with a slightly firm center. Drain, reserving a cup of cooking water.
8. Transfer the tagliatelle to the pan with the ragù and toss over high heat for a minute, adding a splash of cooking water if needed, so they blend together and the sauce coats them. Plate and finish with a generous snowfall of freshly grated Parmigiano. Always taste a forkful before serving, to make sure it is perfect.