Tagliatelle al ragù alla bolognese

Method

• step 1

  For the pasta, beat the whole eggs and yolks with a fork and gradually incorporate the flours. When the ingredients start to bind together, knead by hand. It is important to stretch and pull your dough while kneading to allow the gluten to start working and obtain an elastic dough. After a few minutes of kneading, it will slowly come together in a smooth and homogeneous dough. If your dough feels too sticky, add a spoonful of flour. If too dry and not binding, add a touch of egg white or a splash of water. Wrap your dough in clingfilm and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 mins. This will allow the dough to ‘relax’ so it is not too elastic when shaping your pasta.

• step 2

  Meanwhile, prepare the bolognese. Fry the pancetta with olive oil in a large pan over a high heat until golden. Add the diced vegetables, season with salt, then cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the veg is soft and lightly golden. Add the beef mince, breaking it down as it cooks to keep it as fine as possible. Season, then add half the butter to help the beef caramelise. When the beef starts to colour, pour in the wine, let the alcohol evaporate for 30 secs, then stir in the tomato paste. After 1 min, add the passata, stock (or water) and sage, then let it simmer on a low heat for about 2h until reduced and rich. Add a splash of milk (if using), cook for 5 more mins, then check the seasoning.

• step 3

  Once the pasta is rested, proceed to roll the dough into thin pasta sheets. On a wooden board or clean work surface, divide the dough into thick sheets and flatten with a rolling pin. Using a pasta machine, roll the pasta out to about 40cm (this can also be done by hand using a rolling pin). It is good practice to fold your rolled pasta on itself and start over a couple of times to achieve a smoother rectangular sheet that will be easier to work with. Pass the pasta gradually from the largest setting to the narrowest setting, aiming for a thickness of about 1.5mm.

• step 4

  To shape the tagliatelle, dust the pasta sheets well with flour on both sides and let them dry for 5 mins. Once dried, loosely fold each sheet in on itself from both ends lengthways, stopping when the two edges meet each other in the middle (do not let them overlap). With a sharp knife, cut the rolled sheet into strips of tagliatelle about ½cm thick. Pass the blunt side of the knife under the sliced ‘tagliatelle roll’ and lift them up to allow the tagliatelle to open up and separate from each other. Dust with flour and use straight away, or keep refrigerated until ready to use.

• step 5

  Drop the tagliatelle in salted boiling water and cook for no more than 1 min, then drain (reserving a mug of the pasta water) and toss directly into the pan with the bolognese. Stir and toss over the heat, adding the remaining butter and a ladle of the starchy pasta water to loosen up the sauce.

• step 6

  Plate straight away in shallow bowls with a good amount of meaty sauce. Garnish with a little chopped sage or rosemary, if you like, and sprinkle with grated cheese.