Mar 22, 2009

Tagliatelle al ragù recipe

Sundays in Italy mean family. They speak of tradition, repose and morning Mass. Sundays gather the family around the table for communal weekly updates, sports events (mainly soccer) and convivial merry.


As my son and I skip down the flights of stairs of our apartment building on our way out, we walk past Signora Rosetta’s door, inebriated by the smell of tomato sauce simmering on her stove. That divine perfume then wafts over and mingles with our downstairs neighbor Manuela's veal cutlets. And so forth, in a Babylon of aromas all the way down, all good, all Sunday-like.

Sunday tradition: buying pastries for lunch

Every Sunday lunch, my little boy E. and I go to my mother’s house, which is a 5-minute walk from our home. Wearing a nice blouse or a new pair of trousers, to honor our host, we head out. Mamma appreciates us wearing our Sunday best. She also loves it when E's hair is combed with a tidy part on the side. A rare image, E defines tousled. We breathe in the morning air and take a nice stroll to our favorite cafe, buy the paper, chat with people from our neighborhood. A Sunday ritual. We may go to Mass, otherwise we head straight for the pasticceria (pastry shop) and pick up a tray of assorted bigné, cannoli, sfogliatelle, éclairs and other pastries sold by weight and wrapped in gift paper, tied with curly ribbons.

We always arrive early, at my mother’s house. That too is part of a Sunday habit. All members of the family each chip in with the housework, helping in the kitchen, airing out the bedrooms, watering the flowers on the terrace. Every time I walk in the house where I have been raised, I am immediately overcome with a warm, reassuring feeling. Back to the womb. The aroma of my mother’s cooking returns me to all my childhood memories. The incidental music of the TV broadcasting the usual Sunday shows, the smell of fresh flowers. My mother’s books, her dust, her Persian rugs. The chandeliers, the framed black and white photographs, the Steinway grand piano. It’s all there, unchanged, thank God.

My mother's Sunday table

And then that which she is most proud of: la tavola, her table. It is a festive occasion, and she honors it beautifully by setting an impeccable table. She always prouds in laying a crisp embroidered linen tablecloth, ironed to perfection. China plates, double glasses – for both wine and water – shiny silverware and matching fabric napkins. Mamma cooks for two days in preparation for her family feast, and she prouds in displaying her efforts. The beverages are always served in glass (and not the bulky plastic) bottles. The wine is always chosen wisely to pair the food, and there’s alway an extra dessert, usually homemade.

My mother makes it a point to pick the best ingredients, priding herself in finding seasonal variations, local and organic staples. She cooks it lovingly, employing all her generosity, and enjoying the creative process. She provides for us, not merely nourishment and great tasting foods, but an on-going, weekly display of love.

tagliatelle al ragu recipe

Today I'm sharing the recipe of my mamma's signature Sunday dish, the one she is most fond of. It his her pièce de résistance; whenever she prizes us by making it, it is in fact a party. I have watched her make homey dishes like these countless times, as I grew into the mother I am today, and never once has she or her fabulous fares disappointed me.
The authentic Italian Sunday lunch tradition lives on in my mother's hallmark Tagliatelle al Ragù. 

This recipe is a classic. It results in the creation of an intensely flavorful, rich meat sauce to serve over home made tagliatelle, and dusted with lavish amounts of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. My mother starts preparing it early in the morning and allows it to simmer, very, very slowly for many hours, at least three and ideally four.

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, cut into same size dice as carrot
celery stalks, cut up into same size dice as carrot and onion and in the same amount
650gr (1 1/2 lbs) ground beef and veal total (small variations from this weight are not significant)
200ml (1 cup) whole milk
200ml (1 cup) dry, white wine
1 kg (28-oz can) whole or crushed tomatoes, San Marzano would be great
A pinch of ground nutmeg
300 g (3/4 lb or 1 1/2 cups) tagliatelle. If you decide to make your own homemade pasta, the outcome will be a million times better. And those eating will feel even more loved by you.
Salt to taste
Lots of Parmigiano, grated

It all begins with an empty, heavy-bottomed, medium to large sized pot. If you have a Dutch oven, that is ideal. Place the oil and butter into the pot and bring to medium-high heat.
Add the diced battuto (carrot, onion and celery trinity) and stir to coat well, allowing vegetables to soften for about 6 minutes. Hark! Do not brown the onion or celery, they need to simply wilt.
Next, add all the ground meat to the pot. Here is where the most work is involved. Using a large wooden spoon keep breaking up the meat into smaller and smaller pieces as it cooks. Do not brown it too much or dry out. Don’t let it sit in the hot shortening on the bottom of the pot and sear. Keep moving it around; it should just lose its color. Keep working on the meat and keep breaking it up into smaller and smaller pieces. It should also begin to smell wonderful.

When the meat has lost all its pink color and is reduced to minuscule bits, pour in the milk and turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Stir well and allow the milk to completely boil away. When that happens, you should only be able to see the olive oil and butter between the meat pieces and vegetables, and no more milk. This will take about 20 minutes.

Now add the white wine and let it evaporate.
Add the tomatoes. Empty the entire can into the pot and use a wooden spoon to break up the whole tomatoes into large chunks. Season with salt and nutmeg, stir well and turn down the heat to a very gentle simmer, only the occasional plip, plop! bubble should come to the surface. Do not cover. Allow the sauce to simmer slowly for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally; and to fill the rooms of your soul with warmth, love and a terrific aroma.

If you're pressed for time, or making home made pasta feels too big a task right now, you can decide over dried or fresh commercially sold tagliatelle, the only requirement is they be rough-surfaced and quite thick (at least 3 mm, 1/8-inch).

When the sauce is almost ready, bring your salted gallon of water to a rolling boil. Cook the tagliatelle, then drain them al dente, saving some starchy cooking water.
Return the pasta to the empty stewpot and add about a cup of meat sauce to the cooked tagliatelle and stir well. This only colors the strands lightly, but we’re not done yet. Serve the coated tagliatelle in individual soup bowls, spooning the divine Bolognese sauce over each and dusting with copious amounts of grated Parmigiano.

Mamma uncorked two bottles of Chianti today, and the first roaring toast was to the never-ending party she throws, come Sunday at lunch.

Pull up a chair and let's eat.

24 comments:

  1. Ohhh..Yummy! Sounds delicious! I didn't "fix" anything for my party---will you bring some of your dinner over to mine! :)

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  2. I'm quite the globetrotter, so don't tempt me: I may just show up with attached Dutch oven...

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  3. thanks for this great recipe! hopping in from UBP!
    My Party Post

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  4. I suddenly find myself very, very hungry. I have a feeling that the popcorn I'm about to eat is just not going to cut it.

    I love the tradition of the parted hair, the table well laid, your mom up to her elbows in pride. Good solid family.

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  5. Sounds like my idea of heaven, Lola. I had that experience in my teens with my boyfriend's Nonna, and i have missed it.
    Your mamma's recipe looks marvelous, I am going to try it soon.xx♥

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  6. Oooh, do you think I could come too? I am a good worker, I don't mind doing any chores, airing,chopping,anything! I would offer to bring more wine but you have Montepulciano, oh my!

    I can't wait to try your Mammas recipe!
    xo lori

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  7. Erin - quirky and extended, but solid, yes. Popcorn is for movies, get the sauce cooking for hunger.

    Natalie - You have just the right Brady Bunch-style clan for that tradition. Go for it, girl!

    Lori ann - you are more than welcome, take a glass and relax. We do everything, guests don't work on Sundays. Ciao :)

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  8. Now that is my idea of heaven. My soul is filled with warmth and love and that delectable aroma by just reading about your Mama, her table and her food from the heart. Thank you, Lola, for sharing that recipe of sheer deliciousity and the special warmth of family with us.

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  9. Amazing post and the recipe is heavenly! I love homemade tagliatelle and ragù is the perfect sauce for them!!

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  10. I loved this post! It reminded me of my mother who used to start cooking for days before the family get togethers and then, coincidently we had tagliatelle for our Sunday lunch yesterday too.

    We probably don't know each other at Positano as I tend to stick to the Fornillo side of town in summer as it's close to home.

    You have a great blog- I don't know how I missed it!

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  11. Lola,
    You've given the recipe away, and now everyone will be trying the bolognese sauce for their Sunday meal. Did you talk about the homemade tagliatelle?

    Thank you for the expression you left on my site; I had not heard that one.

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  12. Tessa - thank you, it's truly my pleasure to have introduced her to you all.

    Joanne - We agree on everything then!

    Scintilla - Whenever the crowds get too crazy, I escape off to Pupetto too. I've started blogging only very recently, but I love it. I doubled up and started another http://forchettine.blogspot.com
    I reviewed a place you might know...

    Rosaria - I didn't actually post the homemade pasta recipe yet. I thought of that later and said to myself, "che cretina che sei." I will make amends asap.

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  13. This is such an evocative post of how Sunday's should be spent.
    Even if it's only my youngest and me around I'll always make a roast lunch that we sit together and share. And I love nothing more than having both my sons and my sister's family over for a meal together.
    It is so important to have that time of community together.
    thank you for stopping by, it's lovely to meet you.

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  14. Ahh, yes. Sunday's in the Italian family. Sadly, this tradition was lost in my family when my Nonna passed on.

    If you get a minute, check out my posting about my Nonna...link below.

    http://prattlefromtheflatlands.blogspot.com/2008/12/mi-ricordo-di-nonna.html

    I am just enamored and fascinated by your blog. You say your are Italian American, but it appears you grew up in Rome. Share please. I'm so curious,... and jealous.

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  15. Fire Bird - Welcome, how nice of you to stop by! You are welcome back anytime, alone or with family. Tradition, simple values, kids, food... the life!

    Pyzahn - Well, now that Nonna has become an angel, it's up to you to get the family seated around the table! I will read the related post and report back.

    I'm flattered, thank you! Will disclose more personal info, I promise.

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  16. Oh yummy recipes! Party hopping and participating too so stop in for a visit.

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  17. Hello! Poppin’ in from The Ultimate Blog Party…all the way from Queensland, Australia! G’Day! I hope you have time to visit my party soon.

    Ta!

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  18. Baba and Comfort Joy - Thank you for visiting, I will do the same chez vous very soon. Buon Appetito and let the party rock on! Ciao

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  19. You have a wonderful way with words, great descriptions, I feel as though I am there with you.

    I'm still blog hopping via the Ultimate Blog Party. Nice to meet you.

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  20. Strom - thank you, I blog for that reason alone: making those who stop by my kitchen for a nibble, smell the food simmering on the stove, and relax with some wine while we chat.

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  21. Ciao Lola! Just made this for my family dinner and it was divine! What a wonderfully rich and warm flavor. This will be my standard recipe now! Thank you for sharing a piece of your family history for all of us to enjoy. Grazie!

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  22. Just made this recipe. Fantastico!! I spent an entire rainy afternoon in my kitchen. Even made pasta from scratch (with a little help from my kids). Cut the pasta into wide shapes (tagliatelle?) and served it with the sauce from this recipe.

    Thanks for inspiring me to do something I've wanted to do for a very long time.

    Note to others: Don't skimp on the cooking time. Mine simmered at least 5 hours.

    Gary from Michigan

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  23. Gary~
    thank you for your lovely comment, I'm so happy you made this! And with the help of the entire family... perfection!
    Grazie

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