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| Ingredients | | Fresh tagliatelle | | 300g 300g flour (high-grade or Italian pasta flour) | | 3 medium-large free-range eggs | | extra flour for dusting | | Pea Ragų | | 50g butter | | 1 tablespoon olive oil | | 1 large shallot, finely sliced | | 100ml white wine | | 200g peas | | 400g can Italian cherry tomatoes or whole peeled Italian tomatoes | | 1 teaspoon Italian tomato paste | | salt and freshly ground black pepper | | 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leafed parsley | | plenty of parmesan to serve |
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| Tagliatelle Con Ragų Di Piselli (Fresh Tagliatelle with Pea Ragų) |
| 01 / 09 / 05 Alessandra Zecchini |
| Photography by Aaron McLean |
| The sauce in this first course is popular in Italys Emilia Romagna region as an alternative to the traditional meat ragų. In Bologna it is served with a dollop of thick cream. The standard measurements for fresh pasta dough are 1 medium-large egg per 100g of flour, which makes 2 portions. If you are using only 2 or 3 eggs it pays to mix the dough in a bowl; otherwise work on the clean surface of a wooden table or bench. |
Method |
Fresh tagliatelle
STEP 1 Make a well in the flour, break the eggs in the centre and mix with your fingers or a fork to break the yolks (or the pasta will have yellow streaks!).
STEP 2 Slowly mix the flour in to the eggs with your hands until the mixture is crumbly.
STEP 3 At this stage start kneading. The dough will feel quite dry at first, but persevere. The effort needed depends on the size and warmth of your hands, as well as the humidity in the air if you have small, cold hands like me you just need to work harder and longer.
STEP 4 When the dough is no longer sticking to your hands and is soft and silky (10-15 minutes) it is ready to roll out. If you are using a rolling pin, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to relax the elasticity (if you are using a pasta maker this step is not necessary).
STEP 5 Set rollers to the largest setting and pass a small piece of dough through. Repeat three times then continue with another piece of dough. If the dough is too sticky you can dust it lightly with flour. Take the rollers down one setting and pass all the pieces of pasta through again, starting with the first (and driest) piece, once only as the texture should not be too silky rather a little rough to better absorb the sauce.
STEP 6 Repeat, going through all the settings (dont skip any!) once until you reach the thinnest tagliatelle should be about 1mm thick. You will need a large table or bench to accommodate the growing lengths of pasta, but if a piece gets too long cut it into 2 or 3.
STEP 7 Next, pass the strips, starting with the driest, through the tagliatelle setting and, with lightly floured hands, collect the pasta into a nest shape the best way to store tagliatelle.
STEP 8 Place on a tray lined with a tea towel and keep in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
Boil in plenty of salted water for 2 minutes, stirring continously then drain and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Pea Ragų
Melt half the butter with the oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent. Add the wine and let it evaporate slightly, then add the peas and tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes mash them lightly with a wooden spoon; leave cherry tomatoes whole. Add the tomato paste and simmer on low until the sauce thickens (15-20 minutes).
Turn the heat off when you can see the bottom of the pan while stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining butter, salt, plenty of black pepper and parsley. Divide sauce among 6 plates of steaming hot tagliatelle and serve immediately with plenty of grated parmesan. Serves 6. 
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