Tajarin Al Ragù (Piedmontese Pasta Ragu with Fondue Sauce)

In Italy’s North they do things a little differently – introducing Tajarin pasta with the most exquisite meat sauce and pecorino fondue. It’s a revelation of flavour and texture.

On first taste, I declared it my favourite pasta dish in all of Italy. Big call I know, but honestly I can't think of a single thing I would change. I didn't want it to end.

On a recent trip to Piedmont in the country's north I discovered Tajarin Al Ragù, and I may never look back! Tajarin is a thin ribboned pasta and the ragu, a simple Northern style preparation without the need for a rich tomato based sauce.

This sauce is similar to a true Bolognese ragu, only a smidgen of tomato paste is used and the meat slowly cooked in only a little liquid. What makes this Piedmontese version even more delightful was serving of cheese fondue sauce under the pasta to season instead of grated cheese - a revelation!

It's an intensely tasty bowl of food that really does surprise and delight.

What's Ahead?

What is Tajarin?

Tajarin pasta is the Piedmontese name for thin ribboned egg pasta, deriving from the word tajé (to cut). It's a thinner version of Tagliatelle/Fettucini, and often called 'Taglioni'. In Piedmont the pasta is enriched with more egg yolk than normal, in fact some recipes call for 1kg of flour and up to 30 egg yolks!

Tajarin pasta can be found dried (often called Taglioni) or if you choose to make your own fresh, simply roll the egg pasta sheets thinly, then roll those sheets into sausages. Cut into thin slices then unravel into Tajarin. Alternatively, you can use dried fettucini, tagliatelle or papardelle. You can also use any pasta you have or prefer - unless you have a judgemental Italian in your household.

In Turin (Torino), where I sampled my many helpings of Tajarin It was served with many versions of this meat sauce. It's a 'tomatoless' sauce of stewed beef, veal and/or pork and sometimes offal. Most times, the pasta came on a bed of fondue cheese sauce, which I'll explain later - intrigued? Read on.

Why it works?

It's so comforting - this is a simple and warming combination of flavour and texture and the results are magical. The ragu packs flavour and clings to the delicate and silky pasta. The cheese sauce rounds off the flavour with that unmistakeable Italian umami. Perfection.

Stuff You'll Need

This recipe doesn't require anything out of the ordinary. I've used ground beef for mine as it's much easier to find than veal outside of Italy. But if you can find veal, use that or indeed use half ground veal/beef and half ground pork - It's up to you. Here's where the flavour comes from:

• Ground beef - see above, you decide what works best for you.
• Onion, carrot, celery - a classic soffritto that adds undelying fragrance to the sauce.
• Bay leaves and rosemary - add their own unique herbal fragrance
  
• Garlic - for some earthy backbone to the ragu
• Tomato Puree/Concentrate - only enough to add a little sweetness and gently tint the sauce. Remember this is NOT a southern Italian sauce based around tomatoes.
• Red wine - adds fruit and tang and a fuller depth of flavour
• Beef broth/stock - this just ramps up the flavour to give this sauce as much depth as possible.
• Tajarin pasta - You can buy this at many Italian delis (look for taglioni) or online.

Step by Step

This recipe is two fold - the ragu is a labour of love, a four hour journey, but super easy. Time is all you need in developing all the flavour. The other half comes in the form of the fondue sauce which I've separated out below this section. You can leave out this sauce if it seems like too much of a palava, sprinkling generously with grated Parmigiano Reggiano instead is perfectly acceptable!

1. Step 1 - Using a heavy based pan over a moderate heat, gently fry the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaves and rosemary for 5-6 minutes until soft and tender.
2. Step 2 - Add the ground meat and stir well.
3. Step 3 - Continue to stir-fry until it's all browned and all moisture has evaporated, break up any large lumps with the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Step 4 - Add the tomato puree and stir briefly.
5. Step 5 - Pour in the red wine and let it sizzle for 30 seconds or so to burn off the alcohol.
6. Step 6 - Add the beef broth, salt and pepper and stir well. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to very low and simmer very gently with a lid on for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid after 31/2 hours to reduce the sauce a little.

Making the Fondue

The fondue is a very simple cheese sauce there's nothing complicated to do.

1. Step 1 - Place the wine in a small pan over a medium heat and let it sizzle for 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol.
2. Step 2 - Add the milk, cream and cheese and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and bubble gently for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

• Freezer - This sauce freezes excellently. I keep mine in one or two person portions in small airtight containers. They'll keep fresh for 3+ months. Reheat in a microwave or defrost then heat in a pan. You may like to add a little water or broth to keep the sauce from drying out.
• Fridge - The sauce improves in flavour over time, so a little fridge time is fine. Store well covered for up to a week. Reheat, adding a little water or beef broth to loosen the sauce if need be.
• Fondue Sauce - The fondue sauce can be refrigerated and either used cold or gently reheated in a microwave. The sauce isn't great when frozen, it can lose its creaminess. So, I would not recommend.

Ready to get cooking?

For a genuine and genuinely delicious Northern Italian experience this dish has it all. Hearty, meaty yet elegant and fragrant. It's truly my favourite Italian meat sauce recipe. I much prefer it over the tangy tomato sauces of the South. I'll let you judge for yourself but I'm sure you'll love it either way. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

More Italian recipes

If you liked this recipe, you should definitely try more of my favourite Italian recipes. Here are just a few:

• Pasta with Walnut Sauce (Salsa di Noci)
• Pulled Lamb with Nduja and Borlotti Beans
• Vitello Tonnato (Veal with Tuna & Anchovy Sauce)
• Nduja Ragù with Penne
• Bagna Cauda (Anchovy & Garlic Sauce)
• Sicilian Spring Onion & Pancetta
  
• Italian Sausage & Lentils
• Gramigna Pasta with Sausage
• Radicchio Pasta with Guanciale, Gorgonzola & Walnuts
• Pasta with Potatoes (Pasta e Patate)
• Pallotte – Cacio e Uova (Bread & Cheese Balls)
• Paccheri Pasta with Neapolitan Ragù
• Anelletti Al Forno – Oven Baked Pasta Rings
• Pasta Alla Genovese

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