1 box Monograno Felicetti Matt Egg Tagliatelle

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 small carrot, peeled, chopped

1 pound ground beef chuck (20% fat), patted dry

Kosher salt

3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, chopped

cup tomato paste

1 bay leaf

2 cups (or more) homemade chicken stock or store-bought organic chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup whole milk

½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

The most important ingredient in this traditional Italian Meat sauce is patience. Cook it low and slow for all the flavors to build and meld. Perfect with the Monograno Egg Tagliatelle, this sauce would be equally delicious on a ridgy short cut like cavatappi or penne rigate.

Recipe Developed by Riccardo Felicetti and Stefano Caffari. Photos by
Stefano Caffarri. Find him on Instagram @stefanocaffarri.

PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

3 hours

SERVES

Serves 4 as a Main, 8 as a starter

Ingredients


  • 1 box Monograno Felicetti Matt Egg Tagliatelle
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef chuck (20% fat), patted dry
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups (or more) homemade chicken stock or store-bought organic chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Method


  1. Pulse onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
  2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium.
  3. Cook pancetta in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta has released some of its fat and is crisp, 6–8 minutes. Add onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and beginning to stick, 6–8 minutes.
  4. Add beef to pot, 5-7 mins; pour in wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, smashing down on beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated, surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–15 minutes. (The meat should be reduced to what looks like little bits. It takes a bit of effort, but you can take breaks.) Add tomato paste, bay leaf, and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally and still pressing down on meat, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 5 minutes.
  5. Pour stock and milk into pot; add a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until meat is very, very tender, 2–2½ hours. There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles at this stage. Instead, the sauce should release the occasional small bubble or two. When finished, the sauce should have the texture of and look like a sloppy joe mixture. If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking. Discard bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt; keep warm.
  6. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salty water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
  7. Transfer pasta to pot with sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup Parmesan. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
  8. Transfer pasta to a platter and top with more Parmesan.