Tagliatelle Bolognese Recipe

sweat aromatics and render pancetta

Heat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. When butter melts, add chopped pancetta and cook 3–4 minutes until it releases fat and starts to brown. Add chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high, add the ground meat in batches and break it up with a spoon. Brown the meat well, about 6–8 minutes, letting moisture evaporate so the meat browns rather than steams. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper as it browns.

deglaze and simmer

Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half (2–3 minutes). Stir in the milk and simmer gently until most of the milk has evaporated (5–7 minutes); this softens the acidity of tomatoes and enriches the sauce. Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes (passata), the stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If sauce thickens too much, add small amounts of stock or water. Taste toward the end and add sugar if needed to balance acidity, and adjust salt and pepper.

finish ragù

Remove bay leaf and stir in 1 tbsp butter for shine. Keep the ragù warm while you cook the pasta and béchamel.

make roux

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 40 g (about 3 tbsp) butter. Add 40 g (about 1/3 cup) flour and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste but do not brown the roux.

add milk and season

Gradually whisk in the warmed milk in a steady stream to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt, white or black pepper, and grated nutmeg. If too thick, whisk in a little warm milk to reach a pourable but creamy consistency. Keep warm.

cook tagliatelle

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add tagliatelle and cook until al dente according to package instructions (usually 7–9 minutes for dried). Reserve about 300 ml of pasta cooking water before draining.

combine pasta and ragù

Return drained tagliatelle to the pot or a large sauté pan over low heat. Add 2–3 large ladlefuls of the ragù and 2–3 tbsp of besciamella. Toss gently with tongs to coat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time as needed to create a silky sauce that clings to the noodles (use total pasta water as needed). Taste and adjust seasoning.

plate and finish with Parmigiano

Divide the coated tagliatelle among warm plates. Spoon additional ragù on top if desired, dot with a little extra besciamella for creaminess, and grate a generous amount (about 30 g per serving) of Parmigiano Reggiano (Vacche Rosse) over each portion. Sprinkle chopped parsley if using. Serve immediately.