Tagliatelle al Ragù
A classic Bolognese dish of golden egg pasta ribbons tossed in a rich, slow-simmered minced meat and soffritto sauce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 150 min
- Total
- 175 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 640 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed casserole pot or Dutch oven
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
- •Large pasta pot
- •Colander
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- fat
- 28 g
- carbs
- 58 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 34 g
- calories
- 640 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the finely chopped pancetta and fry until the fat renders and turns lightly golden.
- 3
Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery soffritto to the pot.
- 4
Cook gently for ten minutes until the vegetables are soft, sweet, and translucent.
- 5
Add the minced beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until browned all over.
- 6
Pour in the white wine and simmer until the alcohol has completely evaporated.
- 7
Dissolve the tomato paste in warm broth and stir into the meat mixture.
- 8
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
- 9
Pour in the milk during the final thirty minutes of simmering to soften the acidity.
- 10
Cook the fresh egg tagliatelle in boiling salted water for two to three minutes until al dente.
- 11
Drain the pasta, reserving a ladle of cooking water, then toss the tagliatelle directly into the ragù.
- 12
Serve immediately in warm bowls topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Chef's tips
Let the ragù simmer extremely gently on the lowest flame to develop deep flavour. Add a splash of pasta cooking water if the sauce becomes too thick when tossing. Using fresh egg pasta is essential, as its rough surface clings to the meat sauce far better than smooth dried pasta.
Ingredient substitutions
- pancetta → minced pork belly for a similar rich fat content
- fresh egg tagliatelle → dried egg fettuccine if fresh pasta is unavailable
Storage
Store cooled ragù in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth before tossing with freshly boiled pasta.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using dried spaghetti, which lacks the rough porous surface needed to hold the meat sauce.
- •Overloading the sauce with tomatoes, turning a meat ragù into a tomato marinara.
- •Boiling the sauce too rapidly instead of maintaining a slow, barely bubbling simmer.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Tagliatelle al Ragù?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Emilia-Romagna
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
