Homemade sfoglia (pasta dough), made with fresh eggs and wheat flour, kneaded on the pastry board and rolled out with a rolling pin and “elbow grease,” is the cornerstone of traditional Romagnol cuisine and the irreplaceable base for tagliatelle — wide or narrow, but always very long.
Tagliatelle with ragù are a beloved dish of the Romagnoli; Pellegrino Artusi describes them (recipe no. 71) in his book La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene, first published in 1891, and about a century earlier they were also mentioned by Michele Placucci in Usi e pregiudizi dei contadini della Romagna (1818).
Ingredients and Preparation
- flour
- eggs
Generally, one egg per person is recommended.
Place 100 g of flour on the pastry board for each egg. Knead everything together well and work the dough with the palm of your hand until smooth. Let the dough rest, covered between two plates, for about half an hour. Roll out a sheet of dough with a rolling pin and allow it to dry slightly. Roll up the sheet, cut into strips, unroll them, and cook the tagliatelle in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain the pasta, dress with a good meat ragù, and finish with a generous sprinkling of Parmigiano cheese.
The dish should be served piping hot.
