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Published: February 16th 2010
So this week, my group had our second cooking lesson with the always amazing Rita. It's very sad that we only have one more cooking lesson left (and to make it worse, its the fish lesson...and considering how much i cant stand fish, its not the lesson I wanted to end with). For this lesson we made homemade tagliatelle con ragu (bolognese sauce)--a traditional bolognese dish. Other than the apple cake, this was probably my favorite dish Rita has made us so far. Pretty much because i absolutely adore tagliatelle con ragu anyway, and when rita makes it, it just gets that much better.
What was awesome about this lesson, was that we actually got to physically make the pasta, too. It started off as a pile of flour and eggs, and we makes it together until it became dough. It's a lot of work (rolling the pasta out literally takes forever) but its kind of fun. I defintiely want to try it when I go home.
I love these cooking lessons. Theyre super long--like 5 hours--but it includes a full four-course dinner, we learn how to make a ton of stuff, and she always sends us home with the recipes. it's sad that there are only three lessons (and that one is wasted on fish...although we also learn how to make tiramisu...so thats good too i guess).
For those who wanted the recipes here they are, translated and everything. However, they are still in metric form, but since i translated them i figured you guys could convert haha. also, i'm sorry if some of the recipes dont make sense. but i wrote literally what was written.
Making the Pasta:
Normally, you use 1 egg per every 100 grams of flour (obviously this can change depending on the size of the egg or the grade of humidity in the flour). The best place to make the dough ais on a wooden cutting board. The wood is generally beech or fir (though I am not sure how important this actually is). Put flour ontop of the cutting board, and make a hole int he center with your fingers, moving the flour from the center to the sides. Break the egg into the center hole. With a fork mix the egg and slowly incorporate it into the flower. Continue doing this until it reachs a good density and then begin to knead the dough. Work with energy (remember: i am literally just translating what is written, don't judge) for about 10 minutes. After that rest for about a half hour and begin to roll it with the rolling pin. The thickness of the pasta varies depending on what you want to acheive.
--thicker (i believe) for lasagne and pappardelle
--a little thinner for tagliatelle and tortelloni
--very thin for taliolini and tortellini
For the Ragu' (Bolognese Sauce)
Ingredients:
•30 grams of butter or 2 spoonfuls of il
•200 grams of grinded beef
•50 grams of pancetta (bacon) or prosciutto crudo (ham)
• ¼ of an onion
•½ of a carrot
•1 leg celery (non too big)
•1 clove of garlic
•1 laurel leaf
•1 spoon of concentrate
•1 wooden spoon of broth (that’s what it says, I don’t know…)
•Salt and pepper
Preparation:
•Mince (very fine) the carrot, the celery, and the onion
•Put them in a pot with a high edge and a triple-enforced bottom with the whole garlic, slightly flatten, with the bay leaf, and the fat of your choice
•Add the chopped pancetta or the prosciutto and fry slowly
•At this point put in the ground beef. To brown it, raise the flame on the stove
•Add the wine and remove the bay leaf and garlic, and put in the concentrate, broth, salt, and pepper.
•Cook very slowly per about an hour and a half.
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Mom
non-member comment
Yummy
Hi, Lauren -- i think this sounds delicious -- I will have to make it. I cannot wait until to see all the recipes. I am glad you are loving the cooking lessons -- we can try them all when you get home. Love, Mom