tagliatelle with ragù alla bolognese
servingsservings4
minutesprepare20
cooking2hours
ingredients:
500 g spaghetti or tagliatelle
50 g salt for the pasta
5 litres water for the pasta
250 g minced beef
250 g minced pork
400 ml beef stock
300 ml red wine or water
200 g bacon diced
50 g chicken livers puréed
2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
2 carrots finely diced
2 celery stalk finely diced
2 onions finely diced
2 tomatoes finely diced
1 clove garlic finely diced
salt
pepper freshly ground
method:
  1. Add the olive oil to a saucepan and fry the mince until light brown in colour.
  2. Remove the mince and sauté the bacon together with the carrot, celery, onion and garlic until the onions are soft but not brown.
  3. Return the mince to the pot and add the wine. Bring to the boil and reduce until half the wine has evaporated.
  4. Add the beef stock, and the tomatoes together with a good grind of salt and pepper. Return to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer.
  5. When the sauce is simmering, add the puréed liver and stir quickly so it does not clump. Continue to simmer the sauce gently for at least 2 hours, adding a little water if necessary.
  6. When the sauce is ready season with freshly ground salt and pepper.
  7. Bring the pasta water to boil in a large pot and add the salt.
  8. Add the pasta to the pot and follow the instructions on the packet for the cooking time.
  9. When the pasta is cooked, strain it and return it to the pot. Add some of the sauce to the pot and toss well. Serve immediately and top up each plate with the remainder of the sauce.
recipe notes:

Dicing: When dicing the carrot, onion, celery and garlic, dice them as finely as you can and then dice them again. They should barely visible in the cooked sauce.
Chicken Liver: Chicken liver is optional but it is one of the traditional ingredients and gives the sauce a light creamy texture. Using a sharp knife, chop the liver finely until it has turned into a purée. Add when the sauce is simmering and stir quickly so it disperses evenly and does not clump.