Emilia Romagna Italian Cuisine - Week 1

Creamy and savory, complex, and seductive, a classic bolognese sauce is well worth the time it takes to make, as I learned on Sunday. The kitchen smelled heavenly for hours and we enjoyed every mouthful. The leftovers even tasted great when cold from the refrigerator, this afternoon.

But making this recipe has far more significance to me than merely exploring the cuisine of a region in Italy renowned for its cheeses, handcrafted meats and balsamic vinegar. My mother's family was Renaissance aristocracy and Isabella d'Este was famous for her patronage of the arts - including sittings for portraits by Da Vinci. The family owned Castello Estense de Ferrara and, later, Villa d'Este, now a 5-star hotel at Lake Como.

To explore the food of Emilia Romagna is to explore the food of my ancestors, a 'task' that truly excites me and I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me. The following recipe is adapted from The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces by Diane Seed:

Tagliatelle Verdi alla Bolognese

Green Tagliatelle with Bolognese Sauce

          Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound green tagliatelle or egg pasta

5 ounces lean boneless pork

5 ounces lean boneless beef

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

4 ounces bacon, finely chopped

2 ounces Italian sausage or pure sausage meat

1 wineglass white wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 wineglass stock

salt and black pepper

5 tablespoons heavy cream

freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Select lean pork and beef and mince it in a food processor or ask the butcher to mince it for you. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons butter and add the onion, carrot, celery and bacon. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, then add the pork and beef, sausage (with skin removed) and wine.

Cook gently for 10 more minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the tomato paste diluted in the stock. Stir in and add seasoning to taste. Cook gently for 1 ½ hours.

Stir in the cream and, when the sauce has absorbed it, remove from the heat and keep warm. Cook the pasta and avoid overcooking. Drain the pasta, turn into a heated serving dish and add the sauce, topping the middle of a circle of drained pasta.