Best Garganelli With Ragù Bolognese Recipes

GARGANELLI WITH SAUSAGE AND FENNEL RAGù

Steps:

• Add the flours and salt together. Pour out onto a board and make a well in the center. Break the eggs into the well and, using a fork, whisk the eggs together. Using the fork, begin to draw in the flour from the edges. Switch to your hands when you have a wet paste. Continue to combine in the flour until you have dough the consistency of "play dough". Add more flour if needed. The dough should not stick to the board. Kneed for about 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll out the dough to #4 on your Kitchenaid stand mixer with the pasta sheet attachment. Roll one strip at a time. Flour both sides of the dough sheet well and cut into 1 ½-inch squares.
• Using a butter board and thick skewer or clean pencil, place the square on the butter board in a diamond position. Place the skewer at the base of the diamond and roll the dough away from you, pressing gently to get the ridge pattern in the dough. Once you have the pasta wrapped once around the skewer, use the skewer like a rolling pin to complete the rollup of the dough. Make sure the end is sealed.
• Place the pasta on sheet pans and use immediately or freeze.
• In a skillet large enough to hold the cooked pasta, add the diced pancetta over medium-low heat and allow it to render the fat slowly, stirring occasionally. Cook the pancetta very slowly or you'll just seal in the fat; it should take about 10 minutes.
• Add the butter and olive oil. Add the chopped onion and fennel; season with salt and pepper. Cook until both the onion and fennel are soft and translucent.
• Cut the sausage out of its casings and crumble it into the skillet. Add the crushed fennel seed. Using a wooden spoon, cook the sausage, breaking it up along the way. Cook until all the pink is gone in the sausage.
• Dissolve the tomato paste in the chicken broth and add to the skillet. Raise the heat until the mixture is bubbling and then reduce to low. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour.
• Season a final time with salt and pepper as needed.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
• With the pasta sauce simmering over low heat, add the ricotta and parsley and mix in, dissolving the ricotta. The sauce should be pretty "tight" at this point - that is, not too watery. If needed, simmer a little longer to dry it out.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water. Once the pasta rises to the surface, cook for one minute.
• Drain the pasta but retain a cup or so of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce, add some pasta water and stir to incorporate. The sauce should become like a thick salad dressing. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring gently. Add more pasta water as needed.
• Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve.

GARGANELLI

Steps:

• Roll the dough out to the third thinnest setting on the pasta sheeter (number 6 using a KitchenAid attachment) according to the directions given in "Matt's Scuola di Pasta" (page 158). Dust a baking sheet lightly with semolina and dust a work surface with flour. Lay one sheet of pasta on your work surface and use a long knife or straight-edged rolling pastry cutter to cut the edges straight. Use the knife or rolling cutter to cut each sheet into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips and then into 1 1/2-inch squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet, dusting them with semolina to prevent them from sticking together.
• Fold a clean, dry kitchen towel a few times to form a bed and place a ridged gnocchi or pasta board on the towel. Place one square on the board with the point facing the edge of the board. Pick up the pen and place it on the pasta at the point closest to you. Push down on the pen gently and roll it away from your body so the pasta wraps around the pen to form a tube with a ridged exterior. Slide the tube off the pen onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat, rolling the remaining pasta squares in the same way. Use the garganelli or cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pasta up to one day. To freeze, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the pasta is firm to the touch. Transfer the pasta to sealable plastic bags, or an airtight container, dusting off the excess semolina, and freeze for up to two weeks (any longer and the pasta will dry out and crack).

GARGANELLI WITH SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM RAGU

Steps:

• For the ragu: To the bowl of a food processor, add the mushroom stems, celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
• Heat a large Dutch oven with a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped veggies with a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the sausage and break up with a spoon, making sure to push down to the bottom of the pan so it can nicely brown. Brown the sausage for 5 minutes.
• Add the wine and reduce by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add half of the chicken stock (2 cups), the thyme bundle, bay leaves and kosher salt to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced by half, 10 minutes. Add the remaining chicken stock and cook until the sauce is thickened and holds its shape, 15 to 20 minutes more.
• For the pasta: Mound the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and water.
• Using a fork beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt. Then begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture with the fork; be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps. When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together to a homogeneous dough, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not to tear the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple pasta dough. When done the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately after 1 hour, do not refrigerate.
• Divide the dough in half, then cut off a piece about the size of a tennis ball. (Keep the remaining dough wrapped.) Using your hands, flatten the dough and sprinkle with a little flour. Pass the dough through the pasta machine on the widest setting (#1), then fold each end towards the center like an envelope. Dust with more flour, then pass through the machine again. Repeat this process 3 to 4 times, folding the dough and flouring each time. Decrease the width to #2 and pass through the machine. Fold again and dust with flour. Continue to #3 and repeat, just folding and flouring once until you've reached #5.
• Sprinkle a sheet tray with semolina flour and set aside. Trim the edges of the dough sheet to make a large rectangle. Divide it in half by cutting down the center, then cut the dough into roughly 2-by-1 1/2-inch rectangles. Roll each rectangle around a wooden garganelli dowel to create a cylinder with a triangular tip on either end, and use a little water to secure the seam. Set onto the sheet tray with semolina flour and repeat the rolling, cutting and shaping process with the remaining fresh pasta dough.
• To serve: Set up a large pot of boiling water and generously season with kosher salt. It should be as salty as the sea. Add the garganelli and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. (Work in batches if you like.)
• Meanwhile, add the desired amount of sauce to a saute pan and place over medium heat to warm. Add the cooked garganelli directly from boiling water into the ragu along with a ladle of pasta water. Toss to combine until all the noodles are nicely coated. Add the parmesan cheese and a big drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Toss to combine. Plate, then top with more parmesan and a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese.

GARGANELLI WITH RAGù ANTICA

Steps:

• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes one at a time, crushing them by hand, and adding any juice from the can. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat to low.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, pork, veal and chicken livers, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, breaking the pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to the sauce. Add rosemary, sage, bay leaves and Parmigiano rind, if using. Cover, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard rosemary, sage, bay leaves and cheese rind. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water until al dente (about 2 minutes for fresh pasta, or follow manufacturer's directions for dried), then drain well. Divide the pasta among four plates or bowls, and top with ragù.