A proper Sunday ragù is less a recipe than a rhythm: soffritto first, then meat that browns against the pot before wine and tomatoes take over. The pappardelle is made by hand here — a forgiving dough of eggs and flour that rewards ten minutes of patience with ribbons that catch every spoonful of the sauce. Deep, slow, and worth the afternoon. Serve with grated parmesan and a bottle you were saving.
Finely dice the carrot, celery and onion. Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and add the vegetables with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring now and then, until the onion turns translucent and sweet-smelling with no colour at all.
10 min · until soft and translucent, no browning
Using: Chef's knife, Cutting board, Dutch oven, Wooden spoon
Push the soffritto to one side of the pot. Season the beef and pork chunks with 1 teaspoon of the salt and place them in the empty space. Leave them completely untouched, then turn each piece once, until deeply browned on two sides. Do not crowd or stir them loose — colour is flavour.
7 min · until deep mahogany on two faces
Using: Dutch oven, Tongs
Pour in the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon. Boil until the wine has almost completely evaporated, then add the passata, the water and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Stir everything together, bring to a gentle bubble, then lower the heat so the surface barely trembles.
5 min · until the wine is mostly gone and the pan smells of ripe fruit
Using: Dutch oven, Wooden spoon
Cover the pot loosely and let the ragù bubble gently. Stir every 20 minutes or so, adding a splash of water if it ever threatens to catch. The meat should be falling apart at the end, not braised into submission at the start.
2 hr 30 min · until the sauce is glossy and the meat shreds at a touch of a spoon
Using: Dutch oven, Wooden spoon
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When the ragù is done, fish out the chunks of beef and pork with the tongs and set them aside. When cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized strands with two forks and stir them back into the sauce. Season and keep warm while you make the pasta.
5 min · until just cool enough to touch
Using: Dutch oven, Tongs, Mixing bowl
Tip the 00 flour onto a clean work surface and form a wide well in the centre. Add the egg yolks and whole eggs into the well. Using a fork, begin swirling the eggs, gradually drawing flour from the inner walls into the centre. When the dough becomes too stiff to work with the fork, bring it together with your hands and knead until smooth and supple.
10 min · until silky and smooth, springs back when pressed
Using: Mixing bowl
Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and leave it at room temperature. This rest relaxes the gluten so the pasta rolls thin without snapping back.
30 min
Using: Mixing bowl
Cut the rested dough into four pieces and keep the rest wrapped. Flatten one piece slightly, then feed it through the pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and narrowing one notch at a time, dusting with flour between passes, until the sheet is about 2mm thick. Lay the sheets on a floured surface and cut them into wide ribbons about 2.5cm across with a sharp knife. Toss the ribbons in a little flour so they do not stick together.
15 min · until thin enough to see your hand through the dough
Using: Pasta machine, Chef's knife, Cutting board, Mixing bowl
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the pappardelle and cook, giving an occasional stir, until tender but with a good bite in the centre.
3 min · until tender with a ridgeline of bite through the centre
Using: Stockpot, Spider strainer, Colander
Reserve a ladleful of the pasta water, then drain the pappardelle and add it straight to the pot of warm ragù. Over gentle heat, toss to coat, loosening with a little pasta water if the sauce needs it. Plate immediately and shower generously with grated parmigiano.
2 min · until each ribbon is evenly kissed with sauce
Using: Dutch oven, Tongs, Colander