Homemade Fettuccine Ragu alla Bolognese with homemade pasta and authentic Bolognese sauce is easier to make yourself than you think.
You guys! I'm so excited! My friend Manuela from Manu's Menu has a new cookbook, Homemade Pasta Made Simple. I've known about it for months, and today I finally get to share my review and a recipe from the cookbook, Fettuccine Ragu alla Bolognese.
When Manuela asked me if I would like to review her new cookbook, I didn't exactly tell her that I had never made homemade pasta before in my life. I always wanted to, but at the same time was a little reluctant. As in, once I bought a pasta maker, changed my mind and returned it the next day, changed my mind again and bought it again the next week, and then it sat in my cabinet for years untouched. True story. I didn't even bring it out for this fettucine, I decided to do it by hand instead.
In Homemade Pasta Made Simple, you are taken step-by-step through homemade pasta making from the very beginning. You learn how to make basic pasta dough, what equipment you will need, how knead the dough, how to use a pasta machine or roll it by hand, then move on to different pasta shapes. From simple ribbon-cut pasta, to all the different kinds of shaped pasta, stuffed pasta, gnocchi, and gnudi.
After you have learned all about making pasta, there is a chapter on sauces. I went with the Ragu all Bolognese because I make my own version all the time and consider it a need-to-know pasta sauce.
Fettuccine Ragu alla Bolognese
Admittedly, I rolled my fettuccine a bit too thick, but I'm sure I will get better with more practice. Or I have to get over the fear of the pasta machine. I would probably have to use it for larger amounts of pasta. I recommend starting the sauce before preparing the pasta if serving immediately.
You can order Homemade Pasta Made Simple on Amazon beginning August 8, or pre-order your copy now. You can also get it for the Kindle now for only $1.99!
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Recipe from Homemade Pasta Made Simple by Manuela Zangara, used with permission.
Fettuccine Ragu alla Bolognese
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 14 ounces 00 or all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs weighing about 2 ounces each
- For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 4 cups water
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving
Instructions
- For the pasta:
- Weigh the flour and mound it on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the mound. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and pour them into the well.
- Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth. Using the tips of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, a little at a time, until everything is combined.
- Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, or until smooth. Form into a ball and cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes before rolling it out.
- Dust 3 large baking sheets with flour. Roll the dough out and feed through a pasta machine adjusting the settings until setting #7, or roll the dough by hand with a rolling pin, making the dough as thin and uniform as possible. Cut the sheet into a 6-10 inch long sheet and dust with flour. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Roll the sheet of pasta up like a paper towel roll from the shorter edge. Using a non-serrated knife, cut the roll crosswise into ⅖-inch wide slices. Delicately open up the sliced pasta with your hands, dust with a little flour and make into a loose nest. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough until none is left.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 2 minutes, or until al dente (cooked but still slightly firm in the center). Drain and serve with the sauce.
- For the sauce:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and saute for about 5 minutes, or until soft, stirring often. Add the ground beef and stir well with a wooden spoon, breaking up the ground beef and stirring often until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and turn up the heat to burn off the alcohol. Add the tomatoes and water, stir well and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook over low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped parsley and remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Serve with the cooked and drained pasta topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Nutrition
