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Tajarin Al Ragù (Piedmontese Pasta Ragu with Fondue Sauce)

The North of Italy created the tastiest, meatiest ragu sauce in the country. Served with thin ribboned pasta and an umami Parmigiano fondue sauce it's as close to perfection as it gets.

Prep Time
13 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs 13 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 273 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the ragu
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion (medium) (finely diced)
  • 1 carrot (peeled & finely diced)
  • 1 tick celery (finely diced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 prig rosemary
  • 1.8 lb ground beef (lean) (mince)(800g)
  • 2 tbsp tomato concentrate
  • 1 glass dry red wine
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1½ tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
For the fondue
  • 3½ oz parmigiano reggiano (finely grated)
  • ½ cup heavy cream (double cream)
  • ½ cup full fat milk
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
Pasta
  • 1 packet Taglioni/Tajarini pasta

Instructions

For the Ragu
    Cup of Yum
  1. Using a heavy based pan over a moderate heat, gently fry the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaves and rosemary for 5-6 minutes until soft and tender.
  2. Add the ground meat and stir well.
  3. Continue to stir-fry until it's all browned and all moisture has evaporated, break up any large lumps with the back of a wooden spoon.
  4. Add the tomato puree and stir briefly.
  5. Pour in the red wine and let it sizzle for 30 seconds or so to burn off the alcohol.
  6. Add the beef broth, salt and pepper and stir well. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to very low and simmer very gently with a lid on for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid after 31/2 hours to reduce the sauce a little.
For the Fondue
  1. In a small pan over a medium heat, add the wine and let it sizzle briefly to burn off the alcohol.
  2. Add the cream, milk and cheese and stir well. Let it come to a simmer then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for around 3 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
Constructing the dish
  1. Cook the pasta of your choice to the packet instructions (or if using fresh, for 1-2 minutes until fully cooked.
  2. Take a cupful of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
  3. In a waiting pan over a medium temperature, heat a little of the sauce (about 1 ladleful per person) and then toss in the pasta. Pour in some of the pasta water to loosen the sauce and stir until well coated.
  4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the fondue sauce to the base of each serving bowl and then arrange the pasta on top. Lastly, spoon over a little more of the pasta sauce and serve.

Notes

  • Freezing and refrigerating
  • Meat alternatives
  • Pasta Alternatives
  • Freezing - The ragu sauce is an excellent contender for freezing. Keep in portion sized containers for 3+ months and reheat in the microwave or defrost and reheat in a pan. You can add a little water or broth to help the sauce from drying out.
  • Refrigerating - Both the ragu sauce and Cheese Fondue sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week (well covered). The fondue sauce can be used cold or gently warmed by pan or microwave. The ragu can be reheated in a pan or microwave. Again, adding a little water or broth tp help from drying out.

  • You can use different types of meat or combinations of meat for this sauce. Simply make up the same weight with whatever combination you like.

    Ground Beef Ground Veal Ground Pork Offal (liver/kidneys) Italian sausage meat

  • Ground Beef
  • Ground Veal
  • Ground Pork
  • Offal (liver/kidneys)
  • Italian sausage meat
  • If you can find tajarin pasta, all well and good. But you may use other ribboned pasta too such as tagliatelle/fettucini or even papardelle. At home, there's no fast rule so use whatever dried egg pasta you have at hand. Or indeed make your own.

Nutrition Information

Calories 273kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 22g (44%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 66mg (22%) Sodium 992mg (41%) Potassium 495mg (14%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 1360IU (27%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 31mg (3%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 273

% Daily Value*

Calories 273kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 22g 44%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 66mg 22%
Sodium 992mg 41%
Potassium 495mg 11%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 1360IU 27%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 31mg 3%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.