Classic Bolognese with Optional Homemade Tagliatelle

Ingredients

• 3 Onions (coarsely diced, not too finely)
• 6 Carrots (coarsely diced)
• 5 Celery stalks (coarsely diced)
• Olive oil (generous amount, for sautéing)
• 1 kg Mixed ground meat (approximately 700 g beef and 300 g pork)
• 4 Dosen Peeled tomatoes (coarsely crushed by hand; can size not specified, estimated at about 400 g per can)
• Salt (for seasoning and salting the pasta water, to taste)
• 150 ml Red wine (for deglazing)
• Freshly ground pepper (optional, to taste)
• Fresh basil (optional, for seasoning and serving)
• 500 g Durum wheat semolina (semola) (for the optional homemade pasta)
• 5 Eggs (for the optional homemade pasta)
• Parmigiano Reggiano (freshly grated, for serving; amount to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables: coarsely dice the onions, carrots, and celery. Deliberately avoid cutting them too finely so the vegetables remain noticeable in the finished sauce instead of cooking down completely.

2. 2

   Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent without browning them heavily.

3. 3

   Add the coarsely diced carrots and celery to the onions. Continue sautéing the vegetables over medium heat until softened and aromatic, while still retaining some structure.

4. 4

   Add the mixed ground meat directly to the sautéed vegetables in the pot; do not brown it separately. Mix everything thoroughly and sauté the mixture over high heat until the meat breaks apart, becomes crumbly, and is lightly browned.

5. 5

   Deglaze the browned meat and vegetables with 150 ml red wine. Stir across the bottom of the pot to release the flavorful browned bits, and let the wine reduce briefly.

6. 6

   Coarsely crush the peeled tomatoes by hand and add them to the pot. Stir in the tomatoes so they combine with the meat and vegetables.

7. 7

   Season the sauce with salt. Add freshly ground pepper and fresh basil to taste.

8. 8

   Cover the pot and let the Bolognese simmer over very low heat for at least 2 hours. The sauce should slowly thicken and become intensely aromatic; stir occasionally and adjust the heat as needed so it simmers gently.

9. 9

   To make homemade tagliatelle, place the durum wheat semolina and eggs on a clean work surface and knead them into a smooth, homogeneous dough.

10. 10

    Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 to 60 minutes.

11. 11

    Divide the chilled pasta dough into portions. Roll the portions out thinly; if using a pasta machine, roll the dough to setting 5 or 6. Then cut the pasta sheets into tagliatelle.

12. 12

    Bring plenty of water to a boil and salt it generously. Cook the fresh tagliatelle for no more than 2 minutes, until cooked through but still al dente.

13. 13

    Add the freshly cooked pasta directly to the Bolognese and gently toss it through so it is completely coated with sauce.

14. 14

    Serve the Bolognese with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and, if desired, additional basil or pepper.

Notes

The sauce takes time but benefits considerably from at least two hours of gentle simmering. The vegetables should remain coarse and retain some bite. The amounts of olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and Parmigiano Reggiano are not specified and should be adjusted according to taste or need. The estimate of about 400 g per can of peeled tomatoes is approximate, as the can size was not specified in the source text.

Nutrition per serving

• Main course
• Italian
• Pasta
• Bolognese
• Ground meat
• Slow-simmered
• Homemade pasta
• Family meal