Perciatelli With Bolognese Recipes

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the olive oil, then the beef, veal and sausage; cook, breaking up the meat, until very well browned, 8 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Pulse the onions, carrots and garlic in a food processor until the size of small pebbles. Add to the fat in the Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return the meat and any juices to the Dutch oven. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until brick red, about 10 minutes.
• Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen twine. Add the wine to the Dutch oven and cook until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, herb bundle and cheese rind. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.
• About 20 minutes before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs. Drain and toss with some of the sauce. Top with shaved cheese. Refrigerate the leftover sauce for up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.

BOLOGNESE TAGLIATELLE

Steps:

• Cook pancetta in a pan over medium heat until it has released its fat and is crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and onions and cook until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Break ground beef and pork into small chunks and add them to the pot; cook, stirring lightly, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Stir the pancetta-vegetable mixture into the ground meat. Add wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir, breaking up the meat until finely ground, wine has evaporated, and the pot is almost dry, 13 to 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, nutmeg, salt, and red pepper. Use the back of a spoon to break up the tomatoes and continue to break down the meat mixture into very small bits, about 5 minutes.
• Pour beef stock and heavy cream into the pot and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Leave to simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook tagliatelle at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain well.
• Stir pasta into the Bolognese sauce and mix well, adding a little reserved pasta water if needed to develop a satiny coating. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

PERCIATELLI WITH BROCCOLI, TOMATOES AND ANCHOVIES

Steps:

• Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the baby broccoli. Blanch for 4 minutes and, using a skimmer or tongs, transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and shake out excess water. If the stems are thick and hard, peel. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute, and add the anchovies, thyme and tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in the olives. Drain the raisins or currants and add, along with the broccoli and about 1/4 cup of the cooking water from the broccoli. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is very tender and the sauce is fragrant. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.
• Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, following the timing instructions on the package. Check the sauce and if it seems dry add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Toss together and serve, sprinkled with pecorino or Parmesan. If desired, drizzle a little olive oil over each serving.

PERCIATELLI WITH MEATBALLS AND TOMATO-PORCINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Place mushrooms in small bowl. Pour 2 cups hot water over; soak 30 minutes to soften. Remove mushrooms from water; squeeze liquid from mushrooms back into bowl. Chop mushrooms; reserve liquid.
• For sauce:
• Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add rosemary and crushed red pepper; stir 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and 1 cup chopped porcini. Pour in mushroom liquid, leaving sediment in bowl. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare meatballs:
• Place bread in medium bowl. Pour milk over. Let stand until bread is very soft, about 15 minutes. Squeeze milk from bread; place bread in large bowl. Add veal, sausage, 3/4 cup cheese, egg, rosemary, salt, pepper and remaining porcini mushrooms. Using hands, blend veal mixture thoroughly.
• Pour oil into heavy large skillet to depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, form veal mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls; add to skillet. Cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to paper towels; drain.
• Add meatballs to tomato sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens and meatballs are just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, bring to simmer, stirring frequently.)
• Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to platter. Spoon sauce and meatballs over. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

PERCIATELLI WITH TOMATO AND PROSCIUTTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
• Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice. Cut the tomatoes in quarters lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and cores. Stir the perciatelli into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaves and cook until the onion is wilted but still crunchy, about 4 minutes. Add the prosciutto and stir 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, about 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and the crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook until the pasta is done.
• Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta-cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add half the sauce and the remaining olive oil. Stir until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta is coated. If necessary, add as much of the reserved pasta-cooking liquid as needed to make enough sauce to coat the pasta lightly but evenly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a heated platter or serving bowls and top with the remaining sauce.

PERCIATELLI WITH GARLIC, WALNUTS, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 2 tablespoons salt. Add pasta; cook, according to package instructions, until al dente; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large deep frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, turning, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add cooked pasta, parsley, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, walnuts, red-pepper flakes, pecorino, remaining tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper; cook, tossing to combine, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Divide pasta among 4 plates and serve immediately, garnished with shaved pecorino, if desired.