Tagliatelle al ragu bolognese

If you've ever so much as sliced an onion, the chances are you make a mean bolognese. Everyone's got a secret ingredient up their sleeve or a special trick from someone in the family. I've been making this since I can remember, claiming "nobody's recipe is better than my mum's" like everybody else I know... and then I went to Bologna. The king of the ragu (sorry mum). The culinary capital of the world. Heaven.

My wife and I went on a fantastic food tour of the Emilia-Romagna region, famous for parmigiano reggiano, balsamic vinegar and prosciutto. But watching fresh pasta being hand crafted in the old market cobbled streets of Bologna had to be the most mesmerising experience of the lot. One pasta maker proudly told us of how her tagliatelle is made to the same ratio as the dimensions of the city's famous two towers standing behind her. They take food seriously!

I could go on about this place forever... so please, if you love food, just go and visit. I’ve put a couple of highlights and recommendations in the tips below.  

One thing I learnt is that a proper ragu doesn't necessarily have the same recipe as the next. It's more about a few traditional values. Keep it simple, use great ingredients and, above all, don't rush it. 

Serves: 4 (with plenty leftover)

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: At least 3 hours

PSX_20210103_202354.jpg

Ingredients

400g good quality beef mince (at least 15% fat) 

200g good quality pork mince 

1 onion (finely chopped) 

1 large carrot (finely chopped) 

2 sticks of celery (finely chopped) 

1 small clove of garlic (crushed and finely chopped) 

400g fresh baby plum tomatoes or 1 can of good quality tomatoes 

1 large glass of red wine (around 250ml) 

1 large glass of good beef stock (around 250ml)

1 tablespoon of tomato puree 

Splash of good balsamic vinegar 

1 knob of butter 

Sea salt flakes and crushed black pepper

Method

If you’re using fresh tomatoes, turn the oven on at 170°c and place the tomatoes into a suitable oven dish, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, a generous splash of balsamic vinegar and a glug of olive oil. Toss them about so they're nicely coated and pop them into the oven for about half an hour, until darkened and sticky.  

In the meantime, heat a large, heavy based pan over a medium heat and add a small glug of olive oil.  Add the beef and pork to the hot pan and stir fry until the meat is browned, for around 5-7 minutes, breaking and mixing it up with a wooden spoon as you stir.  Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan (do it in batches if you have to). Remove the browned mince from the pan and set aside. 

Add the knob of butter to the pan with a glug of olive oil.  When it starts to foam, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 7 minutes, until soft and the onions are translucent.  Add a pinch of salt and the garlic and stir for a minute.  Make a well in the middle of the softened vegetables and add the tomato puree. Gradually stir the puree through the vegetables and cook for another couple of minutes.  Add the meat back into the pan and give it all a good mix. 

Turn the heat up to high and add the red wine.  Scrape the bottom of the pan and let the liquid reduce for a minute or two.  Add the stock and let it come to a boil before turning the heat right down, as low as possible.  When the roasted tomatoes are ready, add them to the pan. If you’re using tinned tomatoes, add them with the splash of balsamic.

Let it simmer, covered for at least 2.5 hours, checking and stirring every so often.  Season to taste with sea salt flakes and ground black pepper. 

Serve with tagliatelle and freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. 

TIPS

  • If I've got the time, I turn the oven down quite low (around 140’c) and leave the ragu in with the lid on properly for most of the day, occasionally checking with a stir and finishing it over a low heat on the hob without a lid.

  • Tastes even better the next day.

  • For the ‘sofrito’ (the onions, carrots and celery), using a box grater instead of chopping saves a bit of time and gives great results.

  • Go to the extra effort of getting good quality mince from a great butcher.

  • If you don't want to go to the effort of roasting fresh tomatoes, using tinned chopped tomatoes is absolutely fine, as long as they’re a good quality!

 

If you visit Bologna...

  • Go on one of the incredible tours offered by Emilia Delizia (and top it off with a wonderful farm lunch and wine tasting).

  • You can't really go wrong with restaurants, but Drogheria della Rosa is a delicious, traditional, homely and friendly trattoria.

  • Find somewhere in the markets behind the east side of Piazza Maggiore, sit outside with a glass of lambrusco, some cheese, cold meats and enjoy!