Pappardelle With Quick Fennel Ragu Food

PAPPARDELLE WITH QUICK FENNEL RAGU

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Add onion, fennel, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute more. Add 2 cups water and beef, breaking up meat with the back of a spoon. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Uncover, add tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium high; cook until sauce is thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup water. Return pasta to pot; add sauce, 1/4 cup pasta water, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Toss to evenly coat pasta, adding more pasta water as needed. Serve, topped with fennel fronds, cheese, and pepper flakes.

PAPPARDELLE WITH SAUSAGE RAGU

Steps:

• Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and sausage and cook, stirring often and breaking apart the sausage with the back of a wooden spoon, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and the vegetables are almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cheese rind. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season the water generously with salt. Add the Pappardelle and cook until the pasta is floating and barely al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain well.
• Remove and discard the Parmesan rind from the sauce. Add the pasta to the sauce and sprinkle the bare pasta with the Parmesan cheese and basil. Add 1/2 cup pasta water and toss well to coat, adding more pasta water as needed to maintain a light sauce. Serve with more Parmesan cheese on top if desired.
• In a large bowl, combine the 00 and semolina flours and salt and form a well. Add the egg and yolks to the center of the well. Using a fork, slowly start to incorporate the flour into the eggs to form a rough dough. You may add a splash of water if the dough is too dry or a dusting of flour if it is too wet.
• Lightly flour a smooth work surface and pour the dough onto the flour. Knead the dough until it springs back when you press a finger into it, 10 to 12 minutes. Flatten the dough into an even square. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Cut the dough into 3 pieces. Set up a pasta roller according to the manufacturer's directions and set it at the widest setting. Dust one section of the dough with semolina flour and press firmly to flatten the dough to 1/4 inch. Roll the dough through the machine on the widest setting. Fold the pasta dough in thirds and dust the outside with flour. Send it through the widest setting again. Reduce the setting to the next setting. Send the dough through the machine. Fold it in thirds once again and send through the setting one more time. Continue sending the dough through the machine, reducing the setting each time, until the desired thickness is reached, about 1/8 inch. Lay the sheet out on the counter and dust with flour. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut strips 1 inch by 10 inches. Dust the strips with more flour. Continue with the remaining dough.

PAPPARDELLE WITH CHICKEN RAGù, FENNEL, AND PEAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wide large saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium. Cook bacon, stirring often, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Season chicken all over with salt, then set in pan, skin side down. Cook, turning halfway through, until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
• Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. fat from pan. Add onions and chopped fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 6-8 minutes. Add thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in wine and simmer, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Return bacon and chicken to pan (chicken should fit snugly in a single layer); pour in water to barely cover chicken. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and set lid askew. Cook until chicken is tender, 45-60 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a clean plate; let cool. Finely shred chicken meat; discard bones and skin.
• Add milk to pan and set over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until sauce is nearly reduced by half and slightly thickened, 8-12 minutes.
• Mix peas and chicken into sauce and cook until peas are just tender, about 4 minutes for fresh peas and 2 minutes for frozen. Season ragù with salt and plenty of pepper. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Add pasta, butter, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and 1/2 cup pasta water to ragù and mix to coat pasta with sauce. Increase heat to medium (sauce should be bubbling just a little) and continue cooking, stirring and adding more cooking liquid as needed if sauce is too thick, until butter and cheese are melted and incorporated into ragù and pasta is well coated in sauce. Add parsley and toss to evenly distribute through pasta.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with fennel fronds and shaved Parmesan.
• Do Ahead
• Ragù can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat gently before using.