Bolognese sausage ragù with tagliatelle

Ingredients

For the pasta dough

• 400g/14oz 00 pasta flour
• 4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp salt

For the ragù

• 400g/14oz good quality coarse pork sausage meat
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• ¾ tsp fennel seeds, roughly ground in a pestle and mortar
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• 150ml/5fl oz dry white wine
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 150ml/5fl oz chicken stock
• 50g/1¾oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. To make the pasta, in a food processor, combine the flour, eggs and salt, then tip onto a work surface and bring together in a ball of dough, cover in cling film and rest for 20-30 minutes.

2. Ideally with a pasta machine or a rolling pin, roll out the pasta into a couple of thin sheets (about 2mm thick). Run through a pasta machine to make tagliatelle, or using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into 5mm wide ribbons. Separate the strands and leave to dry on the back of a chair or spread out on a tray.

3. Break up the sausage meat into a large lidded pan with a little olive oil, depending on how fatty the sausage meat is, as it may render quite a bit of fat. Cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes stirring from time to time. Add the onion, celery, fennel seeds, rosemary, chilli and garlic then cook for a further 15 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced in volume by half, then add the cream and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper then put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for half an hour.

4. When ready to serve, cook the tagliatelle in plenty of salted water for about 4 minutes until al dente, drain and add to the ragù pan and mix in. Serve in warmed bowls with freshly grated Parmesan.