San Donato’s Recipes Advent Calendar: Tagliatelle al ragù
Tagliatelle al ragù can it get more classic than this? We think not so there we go.
This certainly is one of those recipe that doesn’t need an introduction but we’ll spend some words in any case.
First of all, as always, make sure you have a bottle of Chianti Colli Senesi near you at all times, it is vital for the success of the recipe: you will need it to deglaze the sauce, the pair with the finished dish and to sip while preparing it.
Second of all.. we all are aware that recipes as classic and traditional as this have a miriad of varieties, everyone’s mum makes the best and every grandma has passed down a very specific trick to make it.
Well, what you are reading here today and hopefully follow while preparing your tagliatelle later, is the Fenzi family recipe
THE PASTA MAKING
INGREDIENTS
- 100 g Flour
- 1 egg
- Pinch of Salt
- Semolina Flour for dusting
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Create a vulcano shape mound on your wooden board. Carefully break your egg in Ithe large hole in the centre of your flour mound, add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Start to incorporate the flour with the egg beginning from the border and bringing it in with a circular motion. Do not fret, just like lava, yout egg will go everywhere – it is part of the process. Once you cannot distinguish the flour from the eggs it is time to use your fingers.
Continue mixing the dough using your finger tips until you obtain a rough – grumy – dough.
It is time to knead. Take a step back – in order to use your whole body strenght while kneading – roll up your sleaves, and proceed using exclusively the palm of your hands.
You press and rotate the dough at the same time. Then, fold the dough back on itself, turn and start again. Press, rotate, fold and rotate until you reach a smooth and elastic consistency.
Leave your dough to rest for 30 minutes, take a sipping break and check on your sauce – you should have started that at least an hour ago!
Straight back and step back, it is time to roll out the dough. Attention the rolling pin only goes forward. Roll it out by rotate the dough by a quarter and working it from midway onwards.
You should obtain a circular shape but we welcome every shape!
Then the trick: dust your pasta with a generous amount of semolina flower and GENTLY fold it without pressing. You can fold it all the way or begin folding from each extremity and then meet in the middle.
The cut orizontally NOT followinf the direction of the folds and unfold!
TA-DA You have your tagliatelle!
Folding 
Results
THE SAUCE
THE INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 Red onion
- 1 Carrot
- 1 rib Celery
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Pork Sausages
- 300 g Beef (Ground (chosen meat))
- 2 cups of Chianti Colli Senese
- 800 ml Whole peeled Tomatoes
- Parsley
- Bay Leaves
- Salt and Pepper
Prepare the soffritto by finely chopping the carrots, celery, parsley and onion. Add olive oil, the garlic clove to a pre-heated pan and then add your soffritto. Quick tip: if you add now a generous pinch of salt it will help you avoid burning the vegetables, as the salt will extract their moisture.
Cook over medium heat and add the sausages and minced meet to brown them. Now pour the wine gradually on the meat to deglaze (sfumare the meat). Now it’s time to add the tomatoes and keep on stirring.
Cover it and keep it simmering for at least 1 hour. Better if two!
The ragù will be ready when you will notice on the surface of the meat sauce puddles of olive oil, now red for the long cooking with the tomato sauce. Keep cooking until you do spot them.
Remeber you can be fancy and add some spinach to your pasta! 
The voilà moment! 
You can make ravioli with the same pasta douhg!
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If you want to learn how to make pasta like a true italian you can book one of Federica’s cooking classes. Or even come to one of our dinners to taste and see the recipe in real life!