Guy's Tagliatelle alla Bolognese: Classic Comfort Food

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese is the traditional Italian ragù from Bologna, a slowly cooked sauce that characteristically includes a soffritto of onion, celery and carrot, minced or finely chopped beef, pancetta and red wine. A small amount of tomato concentrate or tomatoes are added, and the dish is then gently simmered at length to produce a rich thick sauce. Outside of Italy, Spag-Bol as my husband calls it, consists of a robust meat sauce served on a bed of pasta topped with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiana cheese — maybe even with a loaf of warm garlic bread — and although it bears little resemblance to the traditional Italian ragù, few could argue that it isn't molto delizioso.



Guy's Tagliatelle Bolognese 
Serves 12

1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp olive oli
3 lb lean ground beef
5 cups homemade tomato sauce, or good quality store-bought
6 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups red wine
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 lb tagliatelle
1 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino 
Sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish


In a large frying pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat and when it starts to sizzle, add the mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes, then set aside. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan set on medium-high and add the ground beef, stirring frequently until the meat is no longer pink and is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, samba oelek, a tablespoon of sugar, and stir thoroughly to combine. Turn the heat down to low, and add the mushrooms plus their liquid into the bolognese, then pour in the red wine and continue stirring until the mixture is the desired consistency. For a looser sauce, add some water or beef stock as necessary. Cover the sauce and continue cooking on low heat to meld the flavours, about another 30-60 minutes.

Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat, and when it comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to the manufacturers instructions. When al dente or to taste, drain in a colander then return to the pot and combine with just enough bolognese sauce just to coat the noodles. To serve, arrange the semi-dressed pasta in warmed dinner bowls and top with a mound of addition sauce, as desired. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and serve immediately, with some sprigs of fresh thyme and additional parmigiana on the side for those who wish a little more.


Note: This recipe makes a lot of sauce, which can be stored in freezer bags to be defrosted at another time for an easy dinner