Garganelli With Ragù Bolognese Food

GARGANELLI WITH RAGù ANTICA

Steps:

• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes one at a time, crushing them by hand, and adding any juice from the can. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat to low.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, pork, veal and chicken livers, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, breaking the pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to the sauce. Add rosemary, sage, bay leaves and Parmigiano rind, if using. Cover, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard rosemary, sage, bay leaves and cheese rind. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water until al dente (about 2 minutes for fresh pasta, or follow manufacturer's directions for dried), then drain well. Divide the pasta among four plates or bowls, and top with ragù.

CLASSIC RAGU BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Saute until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add beef, veal, and pancetta; saute, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until browned, about 15 minutes. Add wine; boil 1 minute, stirring often and scraping up browned bits. Add 2 1/2 cups stock and tomato paste; stir to blend. Reduce heat to very low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan; gradually add to sauce. Cover sauce with lid slightly ajar and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until milk is absorbed, about 45 minutes, adding more stock by 1/4-cupfuls to thin if needed. DO AHEAD: Ragu can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute before al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Transfer ragu to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pasta and toss to coat. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water by tablespoonfuls if sauce seems dry. Divide pasta among warm plates. Serve with Parmesan.

GARGANELLI WITH PORK RAGU

Steps:

• Season pork butt with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown pork, turning pieces occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl. Add sausage to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with pork.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot, and heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add tomato paste; cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes. Stir in mortadella, herbs, chile, pork, sausage, and any juices from bowl. Stir in milk, and let mixture come to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has been absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Gradually stir in wine and stock. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat.
• Cover pot; transfer to oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, and meat is very tender, about 3 hours. If liquid is absorbed before meat is tender, add water (about 1 cup at a time), and continue cooking. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta to pork ragu; toss well, adding up to 1/2 cup pasta water if pasta seems dry. Serve with Parmesan.

GARGANELLI

Steps:

• Roll the dough out to the third thinnest setting on the pasta sheeter (number 6 using a KitchenAid attachment) according to the directions given in "Matt's Scuola di Pasta" (page 158). Dust a baking sheet lightly with semolina and dust a work surface with flour. Lay one sheet of pasta on your work surface and use a long knife or straight-edged rolling pastry cutter to cut the edges straight. Use the knife or rolling cutter to cut each sheet into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips and then into 1 1/2-inch squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet, dusting them with semolina to prevent them from sticking together.
• Fold a clean, dry kitchen towel a few times to form a bed and place a ridged gnocchi or pasta board on the towel. Place one square on the board with the point facing the edge of the board. Pick up the pen and place it on the pasta at the point closest to you. Push down on the pen gently and roll it away from your body so the pasta wraps around the pen to form a tube with a ridged exterior. Slide the tube off the pen onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat, rolling the remaining pasta squares in the same way. Use the garganelli or cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pasta up to one day. To freeze, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the pasta is firm to the touch. Transfer the pasta to sealable plastic bags, or an airtight container, dusting off the excess semolina, and freeze for up to two weeks (any longer and the pasta will dry out and crack).