Servings: 4-6
Fresh Pasta Dough
Ingredients:
- 400g “00” pasta flour
- 4 medium eggs
- 4 large pinches of salt
Instructions:
- Make the dough: Place the pasta flour in a small bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the well and add the salt. Using a fork, stir the eggs, gradually bringing in the flour a little at a time until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough: Transfer to a clean surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth and firm. Add a few drops of water if too dry or a little extra flour if too wet.
- Roll and fold: Set your pasta machine to the highest thickness setting (No. 10 on most machines). Roll the dough through, then fold it in half and repeat 10 times until smooth.
- Rest the dough: Wrap in cling film and rest for 1 hour.
- Thin the pasta: After resting, roll the dough through the machine, reducing the thickness setting one step at a time, until you reach No. 2 or 2.5. The pasta should be very thin.
- Cut the pasta: Use a tagliatelle cutter (or cut by hand) and place the pasta on a tray lined with baking paper to dry for a few minutes.
Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil (plus extra for browning beef)
- 1 medium onion (150g), finely chopped
- 1 carrot (80g), finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk (70g), finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic (10g), minced
- 500g beef mince
- 125ml dry white wine/ red wine
- 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp (30g) tomato paste
- 250ml beef broth
- 1 tsp (2g) dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped)
- 1/2 tsp (3g) salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp (1g) black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 50g grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions:
- Sauté the vegetables
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Caramelise the beef
In a separate pan, heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it into chunks. Let it sear for 2-3 minutes without stirring to develop a deep brown crust. Stir and continue cooking until evenly browned (5-7 minutes).
- Deglaze with wine
Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated.
- Combine vegetables with beef
Transfer the sautéed vegetables with the caramelized beef to the pot and stir well.
- Simmer the sauce
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of broth or water.
- Cook the fresh pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fresh pasta for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup (120ml) of pasta water.
- Combine & serve
Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Toss the pasta with the Bolognese, adding a bit of pasta water if needed to coat the noodles. Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh basil or parsley.
Serve with a rocket salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
