Pappardelle Bolognese

I couldn't think of a more amazing dish to ease into this endeavor than Mario's Pappardelle Bolognese. As Mario mentions, few things are simpler, yet more difficult to perfect than a plate of pasta. I couldn't agree more. Nothing quite irks me as much as a bowl of overcooked pasta with a drab condiment.

Bolognese sauce is typically paired with tagliatelle in Italy. The purists would pair it with nothing else. But it is his restaurant and he prefers Pappardelle. So who do you think will win that argument? The sauce can be combined with any noodle really, but it brings up another point. Ultimately all of these recipes are just a guide. You are the chef and ultimately it is you who has to bring your little personal touches into what you cook.

This recipe will comfortably serve 6 to 8 people, so you'll want to invite some friends and family over to share. One whiff of this amazing Ragu and they will be knocking on your door all week.

I started by sweating some mirepoix and garlic

 

 

Next I added the veal, pork, and pancetta, deglazed with some wine, added a little tomato paste and milk and simmered for about an hour. While that is cooking away, I prepared the fresh pasta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have never made fresh pasta before, don't get discouraged. It can be a little bit tricky, but his recipe works perfectly. As you can see, I used the traditional Italian well method. Just flour, eggs, and oil. Once the dough starts to form, it will look like a shaggy mess. It may feel a little bit dry, but trust me, it will all work out. Just give it a good knead and whatever flour that will not incorporate naturally into the dough will just be discarded. In future posts, when I make fresh pasta again I will be sure to post several pictures of this step for those that may feel a little unsure about the consistency. Knead the pasta dough for about 6 to 10 minutes until it looks like this:

 

 Here I am rolling out the fresh pasta after it has been wrapped in plastic wrap and has rested at room temperature for 30 minutes. Yes yes I know it's a handcranked pasta machine. I still have not gotten around to buying the roller attachment for my KitchenAid which will make the process so much faster.

 

 

 After rolling the dough out, it gets cut into 1 1/2 inch wide strips

 

 And now the moment we have all been waiting for... Cook up the pappardelle, toss into the Ragu, and plate it up.

 

 

 

 

This tasted so good. It is amazing how some of the simplest things are often the most magical. I had this with some crusty bread and a good glass of wine. It was hearty but surprisingly light, and the perfect accompaniment for the weather  here in Holyoke today which got up to a balmy 34°   Until next time...