Fettuccine alla Bolognese
Fettuccine alla bolognese: a staple in every household. Yet the quest for the perfect recipe is a challenge. It’s a dish that should strike a balance - rich and flavourful, yet not overwhelmingly heavy or meaty. Red wine or white wine? Which meat is best? Should I add milk?, What brand of tomatoes should I use? — Now finally, all your questions have been answered with my new bolognese sauce recipe!
Screenshot it, save it, print it, do whatever you need to keep it at the forefront of your mind. Because if there’s one staple recipe you need, it’s this one!
Serves 4
Bolognese Ingredients:
1 brown onion
1 carrot
2 celery sticks
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
150ml white wine
250g pork mince
250g veal mince
2x 400g whole tinned tomatoes (preferable from San Marzano)
1 fresh bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fettuccine Ingredients:
300g plain flour
3 eggs
30ml olive oil
Pinch of salt
Extra flour, for dusting
Bolognese Method
Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery. You can use a food processor to speed up this process if you prefer. Heat olive oil in a large pan over low to medium heat. Add the diced vegetables and sauté for 4-6 minutes until they become soft and fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes until it darkens in colour.
Deglaze the pan by adding white wine. Allow it to evaporate, then add the mince. Increase heat to high and cook for 5-10 minutes until the meat is browned all over.
Pour the tinned tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Remove any fibrous parts where the stems were attached. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf to the pan. Stir well, then increase heat and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Pasta Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, salt, eggs, and oil until the mixture just starts to come together. Attach the dough hook and mix on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then, divide it into 4 portions.
Using a pasta roller, pass each portion of dough through on the widest setting a few times. Then, gradually adjust to a thinner setting and pass again until you have thin sheets of dough. Lay the pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking. You may need to cut them in half for easier handling.
Attach the fettuccine cutter to the pasta roller and pass the sheets through to cut them into individual strands. Carefully catch the pasta and place them on a pasta dryer. Repeat with the remaining dough sheets.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Once cooked, drain well. Mix the cooked pasta through the bolognese sauce, divide between plates, and serve with freshly grated parmesan.
Note:
If you don’t have the KitchenAid pasta attachment, no worries—you can still make the fettuccine by hand! Simply follow the same steps to make the dough. Once the dough has rested, use a rolling pin to roll it out as thinly as you can. Keep turning the dough and sprinkling it with flour to prevent it from sticking. After rolling, you can use a sharp knife to cut the dough into fettuccine strips, or you can even use a pizza cutter to make the process easier. Once cut, cook the pasta in boiling salted water just like you would with store-bought fresh pasta. It may take a bit more time and effort, but the homemade touch is definitely worth it!
