Open the Chianti becasue this is an authentic treat! You can't anymore Italian than this. Be sure to check other Italian gems from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan.
Serves 6 | makes 2 1/2 cups sauce
Ingredients
- salt
- pepper
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 3 Tbs butter plus 1 Tbs for the pasta
- 2 Tbs chopped yellow onion
- 2 Tbs chopped celery
- 2 Tbs chopped carrot
- 3/4 pound ground beef, preferably chuck
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, chopped in with their juice
- freshly graded parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 2 lbs Fresh tagliatelle pasta
Method
1. An earthenware pot should be your first choice for making ragú. If you don't have one you can use a heavy cast-iron, the deepest one you have. Put oil and butter in a pot with chopped onion. Sauté briefly over medium heat and stir onion until translucent. Add chopped celery and carrot and cook for 2 minutes more.
2. Add ground beef, crumbling it with a fork. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook only until the beef has lost its raw, red color. Add the wine, turn up the heat to medium high and cook stirring occasionally until all the wine has evaporated.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and add the milk and nutmeg and cook stirring frequently until all the milk has evaporated.
4. When the milk has evaporated, add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. When the tomatoes have started to bubble, turn the heat down until the sauce cooks at the laziest simmer, just an occasional bubble. Cook uncovered for a minimum of 3 1/2 to 4 hours, string occasionally. Taste to correct for salt. (If you cannot watch the sauce for a long stretch, you can turn off the heat and resume cooking later. But do finish cooking in 1 day.
5. To serve: toss with cooked drained fresh tagliatelle pasta, adding a tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup parmesan. Serve with the Parmesan on the side.
You can make and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to one month.
 | The cooking time is long so it's a good idea to double up and freeze half. |
