Tagliatelle al Ragù

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 2 hours
• total time: 5 hours

Ingredients

1 carrot, finely diced

1 brown onion, finely diced

2 sticks of celery, diced

160g bacon, diced

3 tbsp olive oil

500g beef mince

120ml red wine

600g tomato passata

220ml milk

200g Parmesan, grated, to serve

fresh basil leaves, to serve

pinch of salt

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the diced pancetta and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the fat starts to render.

Add the carrots, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 4–5 minutes until softened.

In a separate pan over high heat, add a little olive oil and brown the beef mince in batches. Avoid overcrowding the pan.

Transfer the browned mince to the saucepan with the pancetta and vegetables. Mix well, ensuring the meat breaks up evenly.

Pour in the red wine and let it reduce by about 80%.

Add the passata to the pot. Fill the passata jar halfway with water, shake it, and pour it in to ensure no sauce is wasted.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring every 15–20 minutes, for at least 2 hours (or up to 4 hours for deeper flavour). Add water as needed to prevent the sauce from drying out or sticking.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt.

Cook the pasta

Just before serving, stir the milk into the ragù over low heat. Be careful not to let it split.

In a separate pan, add 2–3 ladles of ragù and the cooked tagliatelle (recipe below). Toss together with a generous pinch of Parmesan and a few torn basil leaves.

Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and fresh basil.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6