Rick Stein Italian Recipes

RICK STEIN'S FENNEL AND SAUSAGE RAGù WITH TAGLIATELLE

Steps:

• For the pasta, combine the flour, eggs and salt in a food processor. Tip the mixture out on to a work surface and bring it together in a ball of dough. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes. Roll out the pasta into a couple of sheets about 2mm thick. Run them through a pasta machine, or use a knife to cut them into 5mm-wide ribbons. Hang them over the back of a chair or a broom handle to dry. Break up the sausage meat into a large ovenproof pan and add half the oil to start with. If the sausage meat is fatty, it might render quite a bit of fat and you won't need the rest of the oil; if it's quite dry, you will. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the onion, garlic, celery, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and rosemary, season, then cook for a further 15 minutes. Pour in the wine, cook for few minutes until reduced by half, then add the cream and stock. Put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for half an hour - take the lid off near the end if the sauce needs thickening up. Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water for about 4 minutes until al dente. Drain, add to the ragù pan and mix. Serve in warmed bowls with freshly grated Parmesan.

RICK STEIN'S SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.
• Meanwhile, cut the pancetta into lardons (little chunky strips about 6mm wide).
• Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and pancetta. Stir until golden.
• Add the garlic and parsley, heat for a few more seconds then remove from the heat.
• Drain the spaghetti well, retaining a ladle-full of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the frying pan.
• Mix well and add the water to create a bit of a sauce, then stir in the beaten eggs and half the cheese. Toss together.
• The heat of the pasta will cook the eggs sufficiently to make them creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top.