Clay's Kitchen : Ricette Italiane (Italian Recipes)

Ricette Italiane (Italian Recipes)

© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA

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Ragù alla Bolognese

Recipe from: Los Angeles Times, Wed 27 Oct 2004, Adapted from Essentials of Classical Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes plus 3 hours simmering time
Servings: 6 to 8

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta
½ medium onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
¾ pound ground chuck
pinch salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup whole milk
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups canned imported Italian tomatoes, with juices, chopped
¾ pound fresh tagliatelle or ½ pound dried rigatoni, conchiglie or fusilli
Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil, 3 tablespoons butter and the onion in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, abut 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook for about 2 minutes more, stirring to coat the vegetables with the butter.

Add the ground beef, a pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper and cook, crumbling the meat with a fork, until is has losts its raw, red color. Add the milk and simmer it gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely, about 15 minutes.

Add the nutmeg and stir. Add the wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all the ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down to cook the sauce at the laziest of simmers, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. You will need to add water to the pan occassionally to prevent the meat from sticking.

Taste for salt and toss with cooked, drained pasta and remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the table.


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