Tagliatelle al ragù bolognese

Step 1: Preparation

Finely chop the onions, carrots and celery, cut the pancetta into small pieces.

Step 2: The pancetta

Pancetta is a traditional Italian specialty. The air-dried, cured pork belly has a particularly tender, mild taste. An increasing number of well-stocked supermarkets are now selling pancetta as part of their range. When buying pancetta, make sure that the slices are cut thinly - about the same as for breakfast bacon, which you can also use as an alternative by the way..

Step 3: The ragout

The ragù alla bolognese and the original recipe for the dish is the subject of legend. Find out more about the “bolognese myth” in this kitchen secret.

Take a casserole dish or a large, high-walled pan and bring the olive oil to a medium heat. Sauté the pancetta, onions, carrots, celery and tomato paste. Now add the mince and fry at a high temperature until it sizzles nicely. Then pour over the white wine. When the liquid has evaporated, add the chopped tomatoes and bouillon. Now turn the hob down to low and leave the ragout to simmer for at least 2 hours. Don’t forget to stir occasionally.

TOMATO PASTE WITH SEASONING VEGETABLES

A ragù alla bolognese always includes carrots, onions and celery. This typical seasoning can also be achieved with ORO di Parma tomato paste with seasoning vegetables. Ideal as a practical alternative when you don’t have much time - or if you don't have any fresh vegetables to hand.

Step 4: The tagliatelle

As with fusilli pasta, there is a legendary story around the origins of tagliatelle. The hair of the Renaissance princess Lucrezia Borgia is said to have been the inspiration for the court chef for his pasta creation when she married Alfonsi I. d’Este. We don’t know where the inspiration for tagliatelle came from. But we do know that you now need to bring about 4 litres of salted water (1 tsp. salt per litre) to the boil and cook the pasta. You’ll need about 3 minutes for fresh pasta, and the time given on the package for dried durum wheat pasta.

Step 5: The final

While the pasta is cooking, add milk to the ragout. This takes the acidic taste away from the tomatoes. Then season with salt and pepper. If you are using dried pasta - but really only then - you can also add a dash of fresh cream. Drain the pasta thoroughly, arrange on plates and mix with the ragù alla bolognese.

Buon appetito!