Recipes From Our Kitchen

Tagliatelle Bolognese ~ Tagliatelle the Bolognese Way

Courtesy of Chef Federica, Bologna
Prepared in our Bologna ~ Tortellini, Parmigiano & Balsamico™ Bologna La Grande Cucina ~ 5 Day

Autumn welcomes the golden wheat harvest, and what better way to introduce the crop than with handmade pastas. The long ribbons of egg dough that make tagliatelle are native to the Emilia-Romagna region, and pair well with classic Bolognese sauce for a warm autumn delight. Chef Federica shares her version below.

Serves 6

Place the flour on a wooden board forming a kind of crater into which you pour the whites and yolks of four eggs. Using a fork, slowly incorporate the flour into the egg, then work the dough by hand until it becomes a smooth, pliable ball. Leave the dough wrapped in cellophane for 20 minutes.

With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until you obtain a sfoglia, a thin sheet of pasta of even thickness, that will have a surface of 70 x 50 cm and a thickness of a little less than a millimeter.

As soon as the level of humidity permits, roll up the sfoglia until it forms a squashed roll of 8 cm. Proceed to cut the pasta roll in equal slices, 6.5-7 mm thick, then unroll the tagliatelle and roll up again around your hand forming pasta nests.

In the meantime, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and add the tagliatelle, making sure to keep them separated from one another with fork. After about three minutes the tagliatelle will float to the surface.
At this point, add half a glass of cold water to the pan to break the boiling point and then pour the tagliatelle into a colander to drain and place them in the pan with the sauce of your choice. Toss well and serve.

Ragù Classico ~ Classic Bolognese Sauce

Courtesy of Chef Federica, Bologna
Prepared in our Bologna ~ Tortellini, Parmigiano & Balsamico™ Bologna La Grande Cucina ~ 5 Day

Classic Bolognese Sauce is a must-have recipe for every chef’s kitchen, and early autumn is a fabulous time of year to prepare a hearty meat sauce. The classic recipe uses a combination of ground beef and pork coupled with a hint of red or white wine, the perfect addition to handmade tagliatelle. Chef Federica shares her version below.

Serves 5

Heat a swirl of olive oil in a pan, add the chopped carrot, celery and onion, and let them gently soften over a low heat. Add the ground meat to the pan, mix well, and sauté until the meat has browned.

Add ½ glass of wine, then, when it has evaporated, add the tomato concentrate, watered down with a little broth, and leave sauce to simmer for about three hours, stirring as necessary. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Pizzicotti Dolci ~ Chocolate Bologna Cookies

Courtesy of Chef Federica, Bologna
Prepared in our Bologna ~ Tortellini, Parmigiano & Balsamico™ Bologna La Grande Cucina ~ 5 Day

Tie on your apron and prepare these traditional pizzicotti made with Majani chocolates. Cooking Vacations shares our recipe below.

Makes about 50 pizzicotti

Preparation
Soak the raisins in a bowl with warm water and shave the chocolate into small, irregular flakes.
On a working area, place the flour in a mound, make a hole in the center and add in the sugar, cinnamon, drained raisins, cocoa powder, baking soda, oil and wine. Lastly, add the chocolate shavings.

Knead the dough with your hands until it is workable, and then roll out into a long log. It will be a soft and the consistency will be sticky. You can add additional flour if the dough is too soft.

To make the cookies, take small pinches, pizzicotti, of dough about an inch in length, and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes.