Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

Ingredients

• 400 g tagliatelle
• 500 g beef mince
• 100 g pancetta, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• 150 ml dry red wine
• 400 g tinned plum tomatoes, crushed
• 300 ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 60 g parmesan, grated, to serve
• salt
• black pepper

Method

1. Soffritto

   Warm the olive oil in a heavy pan and sweat the onion, carrot and celery over low heat until completely soft and sweet — no colour.

   10 min

2. Brown the meat

   Add the pancetta and let it render, then the beef mince. Break it up and let it brown properly rather than steam; that browning is most of the flavour.

   10 min

3. Deglaze

   Pour in the red wine and scrape the base of the pan. Simmer until the alcohol smell has gone and the liquid has mostly reduced.

   5 min

4. Long simmer

   Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to a bare bubble, then cover partly and cook on the lowest heat, stirring now and then. Two hours is the point of the dish — it is not a quick sauce.

   2 h

5. Season

   Taste and season with salt and pepper only at the end, once the sauce has reduced and concentrated.

6. Cook the pasta

   Cook the tagliatelle in well-salted water until al dente, then drain, keeping a cup of the water.

   7 min

7. Toss and serve

   Toss the pasta through the sauce in the pan with a splash of pasta water. Serve with grated parmesan.