For the 26th edition of the World Pasta Day “Pasta Journey – The Grand Tour of Pasta”, here are the tagliatelle with Syracuse-style ragù. While browsing through cookbooks, I found one on Sicilian cuisine, which with its recipes evokes the flavors and aromas of a distant and fascinating island. I had never heard of this type of ragù before (I only know the one with meat and peas), so I decided to try it. A sauce made of simple ingredients such as pork, tomato (in this case I used pulp), and lightly toasted walnuts, accompanying tagliatelle, made of semolina or egg, depending on your preference.
This recipe is taken from the book “La cucina siciliana” – Italia tascabile, Newton & Compton Ed.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 11.3 oz tomato pulp
- 7.1 oz ground pork
- 160 tagliatelle (or other format)
- 3.5 oz yellow onion
- 1 oz walnut kernels
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Food Scale
- Steel Pan
- Frying Pan
- Pot
- Colander
- Wooden Spoon
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Food Processor
Steps
First, peel the onion, cut it into four parts, place it in the food processor, and then run it until finely chopped.
In a pan, pour the extra virgin olive oil and onion, sauté it over high heat, stirring occasionally with the wooden spoon, being careful not to burn it.
Then add the ground pork and brown it, stirring occasionally.
When the meat is golden, add the tomato pulp, season with salt and pepper.
Cook the sauce over medium heat for about half an hour, adding a little water occasionally if it thickens too quickly.
While the sauce is cooking, bring water to a boil in a pot to cook the tagliatelle. When it boils, add the pasta and cook it for the minutes indicated on the package.
While the pasta is cooking, toast the walnut kernels in a frying pan, then coarsely chop them with the food processor.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, keeping a little cooking water aside and pour the tagliatelle into the pan with the sauce or the frying pan if you prefer.
Sauté them for a few minutes, adding a little cooking water if necessary to mix them well with the ragù. Finally, add the chopped and toasted walnuts. Serve the tagliatelle with Syracuse-style ragù hot.
