Tajarin al Ragù di Salsiccia

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wooden board for kneading and rolling
• •Pasta machine or long rolling pin
• •Sharp chef's knife for cutting
• •Heavy 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven
• •Large pot for boiling pasta

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pasta dough

   Mound the flour on a wooden board and create a well in the center. Add the egg yolks, whole eggs, olive oil, and salt to the well. Using a fork, beat the eggs gently while gradually incorporating flour from the inner walls of the well. When the mixture becomes too thick to stir, use your hands. Bring the dough together and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should feel like your earlobe when pressed. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

   The extraordinary number of egg yolks is not excess. It is what makes tajarin tajarin. The yolks create the golden color and silky texture that define this pasta. Do not substitute whole eggs.
2. 2

   Build the soffritto

   While the dough rests, begin the ragù. In a heavy-bottomed pot, warm the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter foam subsides. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely soft and beginning to turn gold, about 15 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook one minute more. The garlic is there for perfume, not presence. Remove and discard it before proceeding.

3. 3

   Brown the sausage

   Increase heat to medium-high. Add the sausage meat, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat loses its raw color and begins to develop brown edges, about 10 minutes. The meat should crumble into pieces no larger than a pea. This takes patience. Stir frequently and press the meat against the bottom of the pot to encourage browning.

4. 4

   Add wine and simmer

   Pour in the red wine. It will sizzle and steam. Stir thoroughly, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer until it has nearly evaporated and the pot looks almost dry. You should no longer smell raw alcohol. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and sage. Stir well. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to low. The surface should barely tremble, with only an occasional bubble breaking through.

   Piedmont is wine country. Use a wine you would drink, not something called cooking wine. Barbera has the right acidity. Nebbiolo adds complexity. Either serves the dish well.
5. 5

   Simmer the ragù

   Let the ragù simmer uncovered for one hour, stirring occasionally. The sauce will reduce and thicken. If it becomes too dry, add a splash of broth. The finished ragù should be rich and concentrated, coating a spoon thickly. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and sage. The ragù can rest while you roll the pasta.

6. 6

   Roll the pasta

   Divide the rested dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered. Roll the dough through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and progressively narrowing until you reach the second-thinnest setting. The sheets should be thin enough to see your hand through, but not so thin they tear. Lay each sheet on a lightly floured surface to dry for five minutes. The surface should feel dry but still pliable.

   If you roll by hand, which the old women of the Langhe still do, roll until the sheet is nearly transparent. It requires strength and practice. A machine produces consistent results for those still learning.
7. 7

   Cut the tajarin

   Dust each pasta sheet generously with flour. Roll it loosely into a flat cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll crosswise into very thin strips, about two millimeters wide. Unravel the strands immediately and toss them with flour to prevent sticking. Gather into loose nests. Tajarin is narrower than tagliatelle. This is not an error. The thin strands are the whole point.

8. 8

   Cook and serve

   Bring abundant salted water to a vigorous boil. The water should taste of the sea. Add the tajarin and stir gently to separate the strands. Fresh pasta this thin cooks in one to two minutes. It is done when tender but not mushy. Drain quickly, reserving one cup of pasta water. Add the pasta directly to the pot with the ragù. Toss over low heat, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce clings to every strand. Serve immediately in warm bowls. Pass Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

   Once the pasta is sauced, serve it promptly, inviting your guests and family to put off talking and start eating. Tajarin waits for no one.

Chef Tips

• •The pasta dough benefits from a long rest. One hour is good. Two hours is better. The gluten relaxes and the dough becomes easier to roll thin.
• •Seek out Italian sausage with fennel seed for this dish. The anise note complements the richness of the egg pasta. If your sausage is bland, add a pinch of fennel seed to the soffritto.
• •Tajarin can be made ahead and dried in nests for several hours at room temperature. Do not refrigerate, which makes them gummy. Dried tajarin will take slightly longer to cook.
• •In Piedmont, this would be served as a first course before braised meat. The portions should be smaller than Americans expect. Save room for what follows.

Advance Preparation

• •The ragù improves overnight. Make it a day ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently while you roll the pasta.
• •The pasta dough can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated, tightly wrapped. Bring to room temperature before rolling.
• •Cut tajarin can dry at room temperature for up to four hours. Beyond that, freeze in nests for up to one month. Cook directly from frozen, adding one minute to the cooking time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 350g)