The first time I ever had this salad was when I was 16 and traveling in Italy with my family. I vividly remember sitting in a small trattoria in Vernazza, the bright red tomatoes bursting with flavor in my mouth, their sweet juices offset by the creamy mozzarella and sharp basil. Of course, I had eaten raw tomatoes before, but had never liked them much. But there was something about this combination of flavors that changed my mind for good, and since then I have loved tomatoes in salads, pastas, even plain with a little salt. Be sure to only use the best tomatoes you can find — this is not a salad for winter, since there are only a few flavors it really gives them a chance to shine.
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Category Archives: Italy
Insalata Caprese
Filed under Gluten-free, Italy, Recipes
Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
Though I studied abroad in Bologna almost three years ago, sometimes it still feels like it’s only been a few months. My favorite part of the whole experience was the cooking lessons we were lucky enough to take with Rita, an amazing woman who runs two restaurants in Sardinia and her own cooking school in Bologna. Every meal we made with her consisted of several courses, lots of wine, and wonderful conversation. I still remember learning how to debone a fish (she made it look effortless; it was in fact very difficult), create handmade pasta, and deep-fry artichokes. However, the recipe that sticks in my mind (particularly on cold January nights) is her tagliatelle all bolognese. In Italy, every grandmother has her own bolognese recipe, and each of them will insist that it’s the best. This one is my favorite because it was the first I ever had. Rita told us that you know that a bolognese is done when no one flavor overpowers the others, and I think that this one creates a perfect harmony of creamy tomato, salty pancetta, and hearty beef.
Also, if you ever see a recipe that instructs you to use spaghetti or fettucine, don’t listen to them . True Bolognese know that the only way to serve their namesake sauce is with tagliatelle.
Rita’s Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
1 lb tagliatelle
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 lb ground beef
1/8 lb pancetta, roughly chopped
1/4 white onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 rib celery, minced
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine
10 oz tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup beef or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the vegetables until soft,five to seven minutes. Crush the garlic with the side of your knife, leaving the skin on. Add the garlic and bay leaf to the pan and cook for one minute. Add the pancetta and cook until soft, two to three minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the ground beef and brown, about five minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until it reduces slightly, then remove the garlic clove and the bay leaf and discard. 
Then add the tomato sauce and paste, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, for an hour and a half or until all of the flavors have melded together.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions. Toss with ragù and serve with freshly grated parmigianno reggiano.
