pappardelle al ragu

Special
A little more complex
Hob
90
mins

The most luscious, luxurious pasta and the perfect meal to make for a date night for one, because YOU deserve something extra special. Self-care in the form of slow cooking doesn’t have to be long or laborious, it’s about the intention behind it and presence while doing it, and while it can be hard to find the time or the justification to do something nice for yourself, I think there is so much power in making a delicious meal just for yourself, and making this pasta is a really great start.  It starts with a classic ragu base of carrots, celery and onion, cooked low and slow until soft. When it comes to meat, my preference would be a mixture of beef and pork but because it can be hard to finish a pack of mince when you're cooking for one, I tend to stick to one to ensure there's less leftover. Adding milk also helps tenderise the meat as it cooks. You want to let that bubble away for about an hour, until rich and delicious, then add fresh pasta before serving.  Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the process of making this as much as you enjoy the end result!

Meals
Dinner
Season
Autumn
Winter
Dietary
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Ingredients
Beef
Pasta
Pork

A bit about this pappardelle al ragu recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 1/2 small onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 100ml red wine
  • 125g pork or beef mince or a combination of the two
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 125g tinned tomatoes
  • 1/2 beef stock cube/pot
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 portion of fresh pappardelle (or other fresh pasta)
  • pappardelle al ragu

    pappardelle al ragu - Cooking Instructions

    1. Add the olive oil to a pan over a medium heat and cook off the carrot, celery, and onion for at least 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
    2. Add in the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes before adding the tomato purée.
    3. Cook for 3 minutes, then add in the red wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
    4. Add in the meat and cook until it has started to brown and caramelise slightly.
    5. Then add in the tinned tomatoes, milk, stock, rosemary, and a good splash of water.
    6. Stir and let this simmer away for around 30 minutes (keeping an eye on the water and adding more if necessary) until thick and rich.
    7. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
    8. Add another good glug of water, then add in the pasta.
    9. Cook until the pasta is al dente (again, keeping an eye on the water and adding more if needed).
    10. Then taste and season again before serving!
    Use your leftover ingredients for..

    Hate waste? Me too, so use the leftover Beef mince in this recipe and use it for something similar like the below recipe.

    How it should look!

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