Tagliatelle with White Ragù
Egg tagliatelle coated in a slow-cooked tomato-free ragù of beef, fresh sausage, pancetta, vegetables, white wine and herbs.
This white ragù builds depth without tomato: pancetta, beef and fresh sausage cook slowly with a classic vegetable soffritto, white wine and aromatic herbs. Rough egg tagliatelle catch the concentrated sauce before serving.
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil with the whole garlic clove in a wide pan until the garlic turns lightly golden. Add the finely chopped celery and carrot.
- 2
Add the chopped onion, stir and cook the vegetables over low heat for a few minutes.
- 3
Strip and finely chop the rosemary leaves. Wash, dry and finely chop the sage, then add both herbs and the two whole bay leaves to the soffritto.
- 4
Dice the pancetta and brown it with the vegetables, stirring with a spatula.
- 5
Slit the sausage casing lengthwise, remove it and crumble the sausage meat.
- 6
Add the sausage and ground beef to the pan. Cook over high heat for a few minutes, breaking both meats into small pieces with the spatula.
- 7
Remove the garlic clove and bay leaves. Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate completely.
- 8
Add one ladleful of hot water, season with salt and black pepper, then simmer gently for about 1 hour. Add more hot water only if the ragù begins to dry out, then turn off the heat.
1 hr
- 9
About 30 minutes before the ragù is ready, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it and cook the egg tagliatelle until al dente, reserving some pasta water before draining.
- 10
Transfer the drained tagliatelle directly to the finished ragù. Toss thoroughly, adding a little reserved pasta water if needed to bind the sauce, and serve immediately.
Ago's Notes
- Keep the ragù moist during its one-hour simmer by adding more hot water only when needed.
- Refrigerate dressed tagliatelle in an airtight container for no more than 1 day. The ragù may be frozen separately when all meat was fresh.
- The source suggests turkey, pork, veal or rabbit as alternatives to beef, and optionally cured sausage or soaked dried porcini for extra flavor.
Toss the tagliatelle directly in the hot ragù, loosen with reserved pasta water if needed and serve immediately.
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