Fettuccine with bolognese ragu'

In Bologna city's restaurants, you'll find for sure this dish. Bolognese ragu' , a tomato sauce with meat, it's a classic for Italians living in this city. It needs to a little more of cooking , but it worth , because the result it's a really tasty tomato sauce. This wonderful sauce will marry with Fettuccine a famous egg pasta, with a quick time of cooking. Enjoy with a Lambrusco red wine, typical wine from Bologna Region.

Ingredients for 4 persons.

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped 1/4 cup red wine
1 14 oz and 1 28 oz can tomatoes (36 oz all together)
1 lb good quality beef, minced
1/4 lb ground pork or Italian style pork sausage broken up in small pieces
salt

4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup whole milk

In a deep pot heat the extra virgin oil. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrot, and saute briefly over medium heat 3 minutes.Add the minced beef and the pork sausage, breaking it up with a fork. Add salt to taste, stir, and cook only until the meat has lost its raw, red color. Add the wine, turn the heat up to medium high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the wine has evaporated.Add the tomatoes and stir well. When the tomatoes have started to bubble, turn the heat down until the sauce cooks at the gentlest simmer, just an occasional bubble. Cook, covered, for a minimum of 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally and add one tablespoon of milk while stirring till it's finished. Taste and check for salt.

Fettuccine and baked little tomatoes

Generally I make this savoury fettuccine during summer when here in Italy you can find in the vegetable markets or in the supermarkets the best juicy and tasty tomatoes.

I prefer to use Pachino tomatoes , a wonderful cherry tomatoes from Sicily. If you aren't able to find this variety of tomatoes, use the more juicy you find.

In Italy we like to use fresh herbs in our cooking , but it's not so simply during the winter.

Try to use fresh herbs as more as you can, you will have fantastic results. If you have a balcony or a garden try to cultivate herbs by yourself. In my small garden I have : basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, oregano. They are all beautiful plants, and it's so nice to take care of them like babies ! This recipe is fast easy and healthy. (Did you realize I like fast recipes ?)

FETTUCCINE AND BAKED LITTLE TOMATOES

Ingredients for 4 persons :
12.5 oz of fettuccine

14.3 oz of cherry Pachino tomatoes or juicy cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic finely chopped

fresh (best result) or dried herbs :
1 teaspoon of parsley finely chopped

1 teaspoon of basil finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon of thyme finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon of oregano finely chopped
5 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and cut the tomatoes in half. Oil a baking pan , put in the tomatoes cut side up.

Sprinkle on the tomatoes all the herbs (parsley,basil,thyme,oregano), the garlic , salt and pepper to taste. Pour on the extra virgin olive oil. Bake in oven at 450 F for ½ hour. Meanwhile cook the fettuccine 'al dente' in salted water. Drain and mix in the baking pan and serve hot.