Jules Ragù with Tagliatelle
This recipe is definitely one of my favourite ‘go to family dishes’, either for a weekday supper or lazy weekend treat. I am a great fan of tagliatelle, however, this delicious beef sauce can be served with any type of pasta; whether it be spaghetti or even pasta shapes.
I always love to smother the end result with freshly grated parmesan and I have even been known to add a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil all over the top too. Maybe for some this is too rich but for me it is the final accompaniment.
This meat sauce is extremely useful as it can be made the day before, kept a couple of days in the fridge and of course, frozen for up to 3 months.
Very versatile, satisfying and truly delicious.
Ingredients
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2-3 tbsp olive oil
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2 large onions- finely chopped
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3 sticks of celery- washed and chopped
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3 carrots- peeled and finely diced
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3-4 cloves of garlic- crushed
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1 kg quality minced beef
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2 bay leaves
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Seasoning of sea salt and ground black pepper- to taste
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1 tsp chilli flakes- optional
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1 capful cider vinegar
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2 x 400g chopped tomatoes- plus juice
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1 tbsp tomato puree
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240ml water- or stock
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500g tagliatelle- dried or fresh
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Freshly grated parmesan cheese- oodles
Instructions
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Prepare Ragù sauce:
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01 Heat oil in a large ovenproof pan. Add the onions and sauté until soft. Add the celery, carrots and garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add the beef and cook until turning brown and no long 'raw'.
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02 Now add seasoning, chilli flakes (optional), bay leaves, tomato puree, cider vinegar, chopped tinned tomatoes with the juice plus water. Stir well.
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03 Slowly bring to simmering point, add a lid and place in a the oven to slowly cook for several hours.
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Cook pasta:
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04 Just prior to serving, cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling, slightly salted water with a splash of olive oil. For exact cooking time follow the instructions on the packet.
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05 Drain well and add to the rich beef sauce, mixing altogether well and serve immediately, topped with oodles of grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
I recommend to use a quality beef mince for this recipe, and I like a touch of chilli to give that recognised heat but it is not an essential ingredient. I have also made this sauce in an hour if time is against you and it works well but if you can spare over, then this will certainly enrich the sauce. Take care it does not dry out, if this happens just add more water or stock. It is also possible to cook on the stove top but I prefer using the oven or a slow cooker. I also recommend to cook your pasta in only water with a pinch of salt. Do not add oil to the water during cooking as for this dish one wants the sauce to heavily coat the pasta before serving.
