Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese is made with handmade Tagliatelle pasta and a delicious Bolognese sauce taught by an Italian Grandma.
Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese the Way Grandma Used to Make It
There is nothing like slurping a delicious handmade aldente pasta slathered in just the right amount of rich meaty sauce and sprinkled with parmesan to get you in the comfort mode. You are going to need a personal uninterrupted moment to take it all in. Italian cooking does not get any better than this.
Bologna, Italy - the Eating Capital of the World!
I was on a mission to eat my way through Italy. The best place to start this eating extravaganza is in the eating capital of the world- Bologna, Italy.
When you think of the city of Bologna, other than all the beautiful old architecture, churches and crooked towers, you think about their signature dish Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese. I could have eaten Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese on every street corner or at any restaurant in Bologna, but I was after something special.
I was on a mission to have a great home cooked meal made with Italian love. Today I am going to share with you, Bologna's famous dish Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese taught by Carlos and Gabriella from the "Bologna Cooking School".
How to Make A Proper Bolognese Sauce?
A ragu Bolognese sauce is an Italian meat-based sauce for pasta which originated in Bologna, a city in Northern Italy. In Italian, Bolognese sauce is called ragu alla Bolognese, which essentially translates into “meat sauce as it is made in Bologna.”
A true slow Bolognese sauce includes a small amount of tomatoes in a rich sauce with meat and other ingredients that are allowed to simmer slowly to develop beautiful flavors, richness and thickness. Ragu alla Bolognese tends to be served on a thick pasta. In Bologna their favorite is Tagliatelle, as larger pasta shapes hold meat much better than finer pastas.
What is a Soffritto?
The base of Bolognese sauce is a soffritto is an assortment of aromatic and flavorful vegetables such as celery, onions, and carrots sautéed in olive oil. Next, chunks of meat such as beef and pancetta are added to the soffritto to brown. Next comes the wine to cook slowly, then the chopped canned tomatoes, salt and lastly milk. Yes, milk as Carlos explains that this really adds a nice smooth and creamy texture and flavor to the Ragu Alla Bolognese sauce. After tasting Carlos' Ragu all Bolognese sauce, I could not agree more.
It is the long labor of love, slow cooking and stirring that really brings this dish to life. The meat is so tender and the sauce is almost silky in your mouth. The rich flavor of the sauce makes you want to come back for seconds.
How to Make Tagliatelle Pasta?
However, it is the fresh handmade fresh egg Tagliatelle pasta that is really the star of this show. You may ask, how can 2 little ingredients "00" flour and eggs make such a beautiful pasta...it is the labor of love. Carlos and Gabriella showed me and let me taste the difference between pasta that was created by a machine and the pasta that was worked by hand on a wooden board with a wooden rolling-pin. The pasta really has a unique flavor and texture when worked by hand and it is worth the labor.
According to Carlos, Emilia-Romagna is the birthplace of pasta shapes such as lasagna, tagliatelle, garganelli, tortelloni and tortellini. These fresh egg pastas are rolled paper-thin by hand and now I have the new arm muscles to prove it...
Gabriella, from the Bologna Cooking School, is the reason why my fresh pasta tasted so delicious. You can really taste the difference in pasta that has been prepared by hand compared to one that was done in a pasta machine. The pasta created by hand is so delicious and tender.
Gabriella is an energetic 80 something little Italian lady who speaks only Italian and has made pasta every day of her life for as long as Carlos can remember. No English was spoken or was required.
Gabriella taught me very patiently the step by step process on how to create the perfect the dough from scratch. She taught me how to roll out the pasta out to the perfect thickness and then how to shape and cut the pasta. Everything was done by hand and the old fashion way.
I must admit, even though I had attempted to make Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese many times before I came to Bologna, I had never learned so much in one day from such a skilled person. I can share with you the recipe. However, unless you receive a hands on lesson from Carlos and Gabriella you will not be able to understand the complexity in making pasta the traditional Italian way.
If your travels ever take you to Bologna, Italy, I highly suggest the Bologna Cooking School with Carlos and Gabriella as one on the top 3 things to do. Carlos and Gabriella start with a lovely warm welcome tour of the fresh markets and then welcome you to their lovely home to start the pasta making, cooking and the eating. I must warn you that you better come to class very hungry as you will have lots to sample and you do not want to miss out on a thing.
This Post is not sponsored in any way shape or form. We just had an amazing experience with the team in Bologna and wanted to share it with you. If you are a foodie and love to take cooking lessons to learn more about the culture during your trips, we highly recommend this once in a lifetime experience in Bologna, Italy.
Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese
Serves 6 adult or 1 hungry teenager
Ragu alla Bolognese
- 300 grams Ground flank, sirloin, or chuck beef
- 150 grams pancetta
- 300 grams canned crush tomatoes
- 50 grams onion
- 50 grams celery
- 50 grams of carrot
- ½ glass of red wine and the rest for the chef...
- 1 glass of whole milk
- olive oil
- salt to taste
Step 1: Measurements by weights were very important for this dish. Finely chop onion, carrot, celery and place in a sauce pan to cook with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and translucent.
Step 2: Add the pancetta and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes
Step 3: Add the ground beef and brown.
Step 4: Stir in the wine and let simmer on low until the wine completely evaporates.
Step 5: Add the canned diced tomatoes and cover and simmer of low heat for about 40 minutes. Remember to gently stir the ragu about every 10 minutes and give it a little love.
Step 6: Now add the milk and stir until incorporated for a minute or two and then turn off the burner. Set aside while you finish making your pasta by hand.
Sfoglia (egg pasta)
- 60 grams egg (Italian eggs are huge and are bright beautiful yellow because of the corn that the chickens eat. Normal eggs are smaller than Italian eggs so you might have to use 1.5 eggs- weigh your eggs)
- 100 grams of 00 flour
- wooden board
- wooden rolling-pin
Step 1: Place your flour on your wooden board and make a well for the eggs. Leave a little of the flour on the side to work into the dough later a little at a time.
Step 2: Use a fork to scramble the eggs and stir them in slowly to absorb the flour.
Step 3: When the dough becomes thick enough, you can start to work the dough gently pressing it with your palms. After each movement, turn it upside and repeat with working the dough gently with your palms of your hands.
Step 4: Depending on the humidity, you can start to add just little bits of flour at a time until the dough gets to the perfect consistency. After kneading the dough for about 15-20 minutes your dough will thick and will spring back when you poke it. Set aside your dough under a bowl, protected from air, for at least 20 minutes to rest.
Step 5: Check consistency of dough, if too wet or too dry work again accordingly.
Step 6: Place a little flour on your wooden work surface and place the round dough on top in the middle of your wooden board and flatten gently with your hand. Dust your dough with flour. Use the floured wooden spatula starting at the center of the dough and roll dough gently outwards.
Step 7: Repeat the movements of rolling the dough outwards twice and then turn your dough and repeat the process. This is a very difficult process as you do not want to tear the dough and you must get the dough very thin. At some point in time, you must start to use your rolling-pin to move the dough in a counter clock wise direction to finish out the rolling process. (Gently place the dough over the edge of the rolling-pin and roll it up part way and then move the dough sheet 90 degrees counterclockwise and restart the rolling process) The goal is to be able to see through the dough. My benchmark was to be able to read Gabriella's name on her apron through the dough and then I would know that my dough was at the correct thickness.
Step 8: Cutting the Tagliatelle egg pasta: Fold the dough over on itself about 4 times in a multi layer cylinder, in about flat 3 inch segment. With a very sharp knife, cut 7-8mm wide pasta noodles. Keep your knife straight up and down. Scraps or shorter noodles can be kept for soups or other dishes.
Step 9: Grab about 5-6 stings of Tagliatelle pasta and wrap gently around your palms and set aside and repeat with the remaining pasta. (At this point the pasta can be used fresh in the dish or if you want you can dry the pasta and use for later)
Step 10: In a pan of salted boiling water, add your Tagliatelle pasta and cook for about 2 minutes or until aldente. Remove pasta from boiling water.
Step 11: Put pasta is a large pan with some of your Ragu all Bolognese sauce and a bit of your pasta water and stir just until incorporated.
Step 12: Serve Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese with a grating of fresh Parmesan and enjoy the homemade goodness.
Grazie to Carlos and Gabriella at the Bologna Cooking School for a lovely hands on pasta making experience.
Chow!
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta with Zucchini Blossoms
Farfalle Aglio e Olio with Breadcrumbs
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Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese
Ingredients
Ragu alla Bolognese (Sauce)
- 50 grams onion
peeled and chopped finely - 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 50 grams celery
chopped finely - 50 grams Carrot
peeled and chopped finely - 150 grams pancetta
- 300 grams ground beef
Ground flank, sirloin, or chuck beef - ½ glass red wine
the rest for the chef - 300 grams tomatoes crushed
- 6 oz milk
Sfoglia (egg pasta) Tagliatelle
- 100 grams 00 flour
- 60 grams egg
(Italian eggs are huge and are bright beautiful yellow because of the corn that the chickens eat. Normal eggs are smaller than Italian eggs so you might have to use 1.5 eggs- weigh your eggs)
Instructions
Ragu alla Bolognese
- Measurements by weights were very important for this dish. Finely chop onion, carrot, celery and place in a sauce pan to cook with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and translucent.
- Add the pancetta and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes
- Add the ground beef and brown.
- Stir in the wine and let simmer on low until the wine completely evaporates.
- Add the canned diced tomatoes and cover and simmer of low heat for about 40 minutes. Remember to gently stir the ragu about every 10 minutes and give it a little love.
- Now add the milk and stir until incorporated for a minute or two and then turn off the burner. Set aside while you finish making your pasta by hand.
Sfoglia (egg pasta) Tagliatelle
- Place your flour on your wooden board and make a well for the eggs. Leave a little of the flour on the side to work into the dough later a little at a time.
- Use a fork to scramble the eggs and stir them in slowly to absorb the flour.
- When the dough becomes thick enough, you can start to work the dough gently pressing it with your palms. After each movement, turn it upside and repeat with working the dough gently with your palms of your hands.
- Depending on the humidity, you can start to add just little bits of flour at a time until the dough gets to the perfect consistency. After kneading the dough for about 15-20 minutes your dough will thick and will spring back when you poke it. Set aside your dough under a bowl, protected from air, for at least 20 minutes to rest.
- check consistency of dough, if too wet or too dry work again accordingly.
- Place a little flour on your wooden work surface and place the round dough on top in the middle of your wooden board and flatten gently with your hand. Dust your dough with flour. Use the floured wooden spatula starting at the center of the dough and roll dough gently outwards.
- Repeat the movements of rolling the dough outwards twice and then turn your dough and repeat the process. This is a very difficult process as you do not want to tear the dough and you must get the dough very thin. At some point in time, you must start to use your rolling-pin to move the dough in a counter clock wise direction to finish out the rolling process. (Gently place the dough over the edge of the rolling-pin and roll it up part way and then move the dough sheet 90 degrees counterclockwise and restart the rolling process) The goal is to be able to see through the dough. My benchmark was to be able to read Gabriella's name on her apron through the dough and then I would know that my dough was at the correct thickness.
- Cutting the Tagliatelle egg pasta: Fold the dough over on itself about 4 times in a multi layer cylinder, in about flat 3 inch segment. With a very sharp knife, cut 7-8mm wide pasta noodles. Keep your knife straight up and down. Scraps or shorter noodles can be kept for soups or other dishes.
- Grab about 5-6 strings of Tagliatelle pasta and wrap gently around your palms and set aside and repeat with the remaining pasta. (At this point the pasta can be used fresh in the dish or if you want you can dry the pasta and use for later)
- In a pan of salted boiling water, add your Tagliatelle pasta and cook for about 2 minutes or until aldente. Remove pasta from boiling water.
- Put pasta is a large pan with some of your Ragu all Bolognese sauce and a bit of your pasta water and stir just until incorporated.
- Serve Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese with a grating of fresh Parmesan and enjoy the homemade goodness.
theglobalgarnishgeek says
That was from Global Garnish. Must not have been logged in.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks for your comment. This dish is not a simple or one easy to prepare, but it is so worth it. I think it would be best to do preparations with family and friends who can assist in the process. A family dinner kind of event. Take care, BAM
Anonymous says
Yum. The best bolognese I had in my life was in Bologna - years ago. I can still remember it 🙂 Your trip sounds fabulous and the recipe looks great. This one is going on my "try it" list.
dutchgoesitalian says
Fabulous BAM! Love the simplesness of 'tagliatelle al ragù' or for that matter any pasta al ragù! Yummy!!! 😀
Healthy World Cuisine says
Grazie! Guess what I ate while in staying in Levanto? I took your suggestion and it was the best meal we had in a restaurant. Maybe we can touch base later... via e-mail? Take Care, BAM
dutchgoesitalian says
Perfect!! Yes, just send me an email [email protected] whenever you have time 😉
Healthy World Cuisine says
Great, check your inbox when you get a moment. Take care, BAM
beccysfoodies says
looks incredible!! there really is nothing like homemade pasta! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks. I do not think I will ever look at the boring pre-made boxed pasta in the store again. This homemade pasta was perfectly textured and was cooked perfectly aldente. Yum!
Mich - Piece of Cake says
I am sure nothing beats fresh home made pasta. this looks amazing.
Healthy World Cuisine says
The texture of the fresh pasta and the taste is amazing. I think I will have a rough time going back to dried pasta out of a box. Take care, BAM
jothetartqueen says
I love this post as much as I love handmade pasta! Beautiful! Would love to take a class on making pasta in Italy! I missed that when I was there last year (unfortunately). Amazing how she does it by hand, the rolling and the cutting and it looks so uniform!
Just some questions..how much carrots did you add for the sauce? and is there a reason why milk is added?
Healthy World Cuisine says
I did the cutting and thanks for the compliment. Gabriella is a great teacher. I made the dough and rolled it out right next to her but it is difficult to take pictures of your self doing things so I took pictures of Gabriella as after all, she is the expert. 50 grams of carrots-weighed on a scale (about one small carrot) Milk adds creaminess to the sauce and really ties the whole dish together. Give it a try as you will love it. Take care, BAM
jothetartqueen says
Thanks for the explanation Bam!
I will definitely try this..looks absolutely divine!
I wish I could cut so neatly like you did..I usually let the pasta machine do the job. You took very good photos of the process even though you were making it as well!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hey thanks for bringing that to my attention. I have added the 50 grams of carrot to the recipe. Sorry for my typo. Take Care, BAM
albertocook says
Bologna is the top place for this kind of past and the top in the world for tortellini.
Healthy World Cuisine says
I could not agree more. I also made tortelloni stuffed with spinach and ricotta while at the Bologna Cooking School and it was just gorgeous. The ricotta was so fresh and the pasta so thin and perfectly aldente. I want to go back soon. Chow! BAM
Choc Chip Uru says
You are so lucky to have been part of something so incredibly awesome - nothing beats homemade pasta 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Healthy World Cuisine says
It was such a memorable experience. I think it will be hard for me to eat anything other than homemade pasta from this day forward. Take care, BAM
Mama Miyuki Easy Pantsy says
oh how I miss Bologna, thank you so much for the nice article
Healthy World Cuisine says
Did you live in Bologna or visiting? Take care, BAM
Mama Miyuki Easy Pantsy says
Just visit, I lived in Rome
Healthy World Cuisine says
Awesome! What a wonderful opportunity. I miss Italy already. I miss the warm gentle people and the blue skies.
Mama Miyuki Easy Pantsy says
Yes, and the lovely colors and scent from their traditional market
Jeno @ Week Nite Meals says
Oh Bam, this looks insanely good! I am so envious of your travels, and to learn from the natives? OMG!!!! I can not even imagine how delicious the fresh pasta must have tasted...
Can you tell I am just about done with eating out every single day for the last 2 weeks? Our kitchen reno is almost complete, just need some touch up here and there. I think I might be able to start cooking tomorrow, if I am able to locate the cooking tools.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Jeno, I know how painful it is to have your kitchen torn up as it is the roots to the home. Everything always happens in the kitchens it is where everyone always congregates. Especially in your kitchen where you create so many lovely dishes I bet your family is excited to have you back soon. No more take out and some great home cooked meals. Take care, BAM
kitchenriffs says
Wow, such an incredible experience - and because of your super post, I felt as if I was there! I think you're right, though, that in order to really learn how to handle the pasta, I'd need an instructor. You can read about some things and even watch videos, but nothing beats the personal touch. Really fun post - thanks.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Dear John, I really wish there was a way that I could make you feel more like you are in the kitchen with me. However you really need to experience for yourself how the dough feels, how it springs back and its consistency. You really need to be able to try on your own the trials and tribulations of rolling out the dough this thin. Gabriella from the Bologna Cooking School was this expert to make the difference. If you ever visit Bologna, please stop into the Bologna Cooking School and I promise that you will be very happy that you did. Have a great day. BAM
Korena in the Kitchen says
Incredible, Bam! What a cool experience - thanks for sharing!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Korena. A very touching and once in a life time experience that I am so glad that I took the time to pursue. Take Care, BAM
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
That sounds like a truly magical experience. I would love to go to this school and meet this talented woman! Just think of the expertise you've now acquired from watching her special touch with the pasta! Fantastic!! xx
Healthy World Cuisine says
Gabriella is just beautiful! She has a very special touch. If you do happen to wander to Italy, please do stop by and give her a visit. Take care, BAM
Dawn says
Sounds heavenly - I cannot wait to take my sabbatical and do exactly this!!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Eating and cooking your way through Bologna,Italy should be on every foodie's bucket list of must do's! Take care, BAM
Hannah (BitterSweet) says
That pasta dough is breathtakingly beautiful! So richly yellow, and even from the photos I can tell how tender yet toothsome the texture is. Dried pasta can't even compare.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Hannah! Italy's eggs are so amazing. They are so big and the yolks are so yellow because of all the natural corn they eat and free range of motion. Take care, BAM