Ragù Bolognese con Pasta Fresca

 

• 1 whole free-range chicken
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 8 black peppercorns
• 3 liters of fresh water

  

• Primagoccia extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds of grassfed beef chuck (whole, as we will handcut this later)
• 6 carrots (finely chopped)
• 6 sticks of celery (finely chopped)
• 2 medium sized onions (finely chopped)
• 500ml Italian red wine

 

• 4 large duck eggs
• 400g Bertozzi durum semolina rimicinata

 

• Lorenzo #1 olive oil - monocultivar cerasuola which has the body and pepperiness to pull this all together.
• Gennari parmigiano reggiano - we recommend using the 36 month old for a balance of aged umami fresh fruitiness.

 

1. Set aside 12-hours from start to finish for this recipe (or 6 hours if you will use ready made chicken stock)
2. At 8am in the morning (if dinner is at 8pm), place the whole chicken in a stockpot, cover with water (approximately 3L) and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, sprinkle in the tablespoon of salt and the peppercorns, cover and lower to a simmer.
3. After 3 hours, gently press the chicken down into the pot with a wooden spoon, this should gently break it apart and allow greater flavour introduction into the liquid.
4. 30 mins before the end of the stock simmer, heat up a heavy bottomed dutch oven to med-high and pour olive oil into the bottom to cover it. Brown the chopped carrots, onion and celery.
5. (If you are using ready made stock, bring 3L of it to boil in a pot and keep at a simmer.)
6. Meanwhile, using a sharp kitchen knife, hand chop the beef chuck into very small pieces. You can also use a food processor to accomplish this step.
7. When the sofrito (carrots, onion, celery) has browned, add the chopped beef chuck and brown it as well, stirring every now and then to ensure an even browning.
8. When the 6-hours since the start of the stock has elapsed, remove the chicken carcass from the stock liquid and discard, all the flavour is now in the liquid and this is what you want for the ragù.
9. Keep the stock on the stove, at a simmer, this reduces it slowly, concentrating the flavour.
10. When the meat has browned, add the 500ml of Italian red wine and simmer this away before adding anything else.
11. When the wine has finished simmering off, add 500ml of the stock and bring to a simmer, stir gently to mix in everything nicely. Keep at a low simmer over the next couple hours.
12. Periodically, every hour or so, check on your ragù and add a couple ladles of stock to enrich the sauce and add liquid.
13. At 6pm / 2 hours before the sauce is ready, mix 400g of durum semolina rimicinata with the 4 duck eggs in a stand mixer or by hand, ensuring thorough incorporation. Knead until smooth. This is your pasta dough, wrap it in cellophane or place in a bowl and cover on the kitchen counter. You need to make the dough in advance to make sure the gluten has time to relax, and the semolina flour has time to fully absorb the moisture.
14. At 7:30pm, start rolling your fresh pasta sheets with small balls of the dough, and using a sharp knife, cut it into strips of pappardelle or tagliatelle. You can also use a machine for this. Just make sure to dust each sheet with some semolina to make sure it doesn't stick together.
15. Boil 4 liters of water and salt it well, the pasta will take 3-5mins to cook, serve immediately with sauce and toss to coat. Finish with the lorenzo #1 olive oil and Gennari 36-month parmigiano reggiano.
16. Buon Appetito!

   

We recommend a Brunello di Montalcino as a wine pairing, but a hearty Barolo or Chianti will do it just as well.