Bobby Flays Beef Ragù With Fettuccine Is Italian Comfort Food At Its Best Recipes

Steps:

• For the pasta dough: Combine the flour, eggs and yolk in a food processor and pulse until a dough comes together. Transfer to a counter dusted lightly with flour and knead gently until the dough comes together and is smooth, about 1 minute. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. With your hands, flatten and shape one piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Dust it lightly with flour and pass it through the widest setting on the pasta machine. If the dough comes out oddly shaped, reform into a rectangle. Fold it in thirds, like a letter, and if necessary, flatten it to a 1/2-inch thickness. Pass it through the widest setting again with the seam of the letter perpendicular to the rollers. Repeat this folding and rolling step 10 to 12 times, dusting the dough with flour if it becomes sticky.
• Without folding the dough, pass it through the next setting on the pasta machine. Keep reducing the space between the rollers after each pass, lightly dusting the pasta with flour on both sides each time, until the pasta is about 1/16-inch thick and 3 inches wide.
• Lay the rolled-out dough on a counter. Roll out the remaining dough in the same manner. Cut each strip of dough into 11-inch lengths. Cut the dough into fettuccine. (Alternatively, use store-bought dried or fresh fettuccine.)
• For the meat: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook slowly until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Increase the heat to high, add the chuck and pork to the pan and season with the fennel, chile flakes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the excess fat from the pan.
• For the quick bolognese sauce: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the celery, fennel, onion and carrot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and ground fennel and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Coarsely mash the tomatoes using a potato masher or wooden spoon, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce comes to a boil and begins to thicken slightly, about 15 minutes. Add the cooked bacon, chuck and pork to the pan and continue cooking until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes more. Fold in the parsley and oregano and season with salt and pepper.
• For the garlic bread: Preheat the broiler.
• Place the ciabatta on a baking sheet cut-side up. Heat it under the broiler until lightly golden brown. Combine the butter, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slather the garlic butter over the bread and broil until bubbly and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove, let cool for a few minutes and cut into slices.
• To serve: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 4 minutes (if using dried noodles, follow package directions). Reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Put about 2 cups of the sauce in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the pasta, creme fraiche, some of the pasta water and a few handfuls of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Toss, top with the parsley and serve. Reserve remaining sauce for another use.

Steps:

• For the Tomato Sauce: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, bring to boil, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and basil.
• For the Bolognese Sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat.
• Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper, place in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
• Remove the shanks to a plate. Remove fat from the pan. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until golden brown. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until soft and lightly golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pan and cook until completely reduced. Add the beef stock, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and parsley and bring to a simmer. Add the shanks and 1/3 of the pancetta back to the pan, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
• Remove the shanks to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl.
• Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Place 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a large high-sided saute pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Add the shredded meat and the remaining cooked pancetta to the pan along with 1 cup of the tomato sauce, parsley and basil and stir to combine and just heat through.
• For the Ricotta Mixture: Stir together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, basil, cheese and salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
• For the Bechamel (Mornay) Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the hot milk and continue whisking until the sauce is thickened and loses its raw flavor, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk in the cheeses. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some of the remaining milk.
• For Assembly: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Ladle a thin layer of bechamel evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of pasta dough, cut to fit the inside of the pan on top of the bechamel and top the pasta with the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Spread a thin layer of bechamel over the ricotta, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan and some basil leaves. Top with another layer of pasta and spread the Bolognese sauce evenly over the top. Ladle an even layer of bechamel over the Bolognese sauce, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan and some basil leaves. Place the final layer of pasta dough over the meat mixture and ladle the bechamel over the top to completely cover the pasta and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of Parmesan.
• Place the pan on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 25 to 35 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into slices and top with some of the remaining tomato sauce, more grated cheese and chopped parsley and basil.

Steps:

• For the Beef: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Heat oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and cook on both sides for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Add all of the wine to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, add all of the remaining ingredients, except the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid, braise on the stove top or place in the oven and let braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until very tender. Remove the meat to a plate and strain the cooking liquids into a bowl. Clean out the pan and add the strained liquid into the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat until reduced by 1/3. Return the meat to the pan and cook for 5 minutes to heat through.
• For the Pasta Gratin: Place milk and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes, then remove the garlic. Melt butter in a small saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes over low heat. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream and cook over medium-high heat until thickened, season with salt and pepper and nutmeg, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place cooked pasta in a buttered medium flameproof baking dish, add the sauce and stir to combine. Sprinkle the Gruyere over the top of the pasta then sprinkle the Parmesan over the Gruyere. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil, rotating the dish, until the cheese is golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with chives.