Bolognese

A hearty recipe for a rich and indulgent bolognese. Goes perfectly with fresh pappardelle or tagliatelle. Recipe below...

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

Bolognese:

100g pancetta (roughly chopped)

1 large onion (finely diced)

1 large carrot (finely diced)

1 large stick of celery (finely diced)

1 tbsp olive oil

500 beef mince

250 pork mince

1.5 cups red or white wine

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups whole milk

2 cups beef stock

Fresh Pasta:

450g flour

1.5 tsp salt

3 whole eggs

6 egg yolks

METHOD:

Bolognese:

1. Into a cold pan add the pancetta and cook on a medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until rendered and starting to brown. Remove from pan and set aside - make sure to leave all of the rendered fats in the pan.

2. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and turn the heat up to high. Add the beef and pork mince in batches, searing until golden brown. Remove form pan and set aside.

3. Turn the pan down to medium high heat and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until starting to brown.

4. Add the pancetta, beef and pork mince back into the pan with the soffrito. Mix and bring back up to heat.

5. Add the wine and let bubble down / reduce by half.

6. Mix in the tomato paste, milk and beef stock and bring to a boil. Place into an oven of 170 degrees Celcius and slow cook for 4-5 hours until the meat is tender and sauce has thickened. Check regularly throughout this cooking process to ensure that the ragu is not going dry. If this appears to be the case, simply top up with beef stock.

7. Once cooked, remove the bolognese from the oven and let it rest / cool for at least 30 minuets before eating.

Pasta:

1. For the dough, mix the flour and salt in a bowl, tip out onto a clean surface then make a crater in the middle using the bottom of your mixing bowl.

2. Add the whole eggs and egg yolks into the centre.

3. Start to beat the egg yolks together, gradually incorporating the flour for the sides.

4. Once the flour has been fully incorporated, knead on a clean work surface until smooth (roughly 10 minutes).

5. Wrap in clingfilm or a kitchen towel and let it rest for at least an hour before rolling out. If resting in the fridge for a longer period of time, make sure to let the dough come to room temperature before rolling out.

6. To roll the pasta out, divide the dough into 2 and using a rolling pin or pasta machine, roll until …… thick. Once you have you sheets of dough ready, cut into pasta roughly 1 inch wide.

7. Salt some boiling water and add the pasta. Cook for around 3 minutes until slightly al dente.

8. In a new pan add some of the bolognese, the freshly cooked pasta and a splash of the starchy pasta water. Mix together, heat through and serve. Enjoy!