Tagliatelle with lentil ragù
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Tagliatelle with lentil ragù
‘Lentils are really good – they are a superfood. They’re cheap and they go a long way. Then lovely porcini give you extra texture, extra everything. Then you put the fresh pasta inside. Wow!’
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Gennaro Contaldo
Gennaro is one of Britain’s best-known Italian chefs and a passionate champion of traditional Italian cooking. His latest cookbook, Gennaro’s Hidden Italy (Pavilion, £22), is out now, and his new London restaurant, Bolo by Gennaro Contaldo, opens in Soho this autumn
Gennaro Contaldo
Gennaro is one of Britain’s best-known Italian chefs and a passionate champion of traditional Italian cooking. His latest cookbook, Gennaro’s Hidden Italy (Pavilion, £22), is out now, and his new London restaurant, Bolo by Gennaro Contaldo, opens in Soho this autumn
Ingredients
- 15g dried porcini mushrooms
- 800ml hot vegetable stock
- 200g dried small brown or green lentils
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 parmesan rind* (optional)
- 200g button mushrooms, finely chopped
- parmigiano reggiano*, finely grated, to serve (optional)
For the homemade tagliatelle (or use 350g dried tagliatelle)
- 200g 00 flour, plus extra to dust
- 2 large eggs
Step by step
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For the tagliatelle, place the flour in a large bowl or in a mound on a clean work surface, make a well and crack in the eggs. With a fork or your hands, gradually mix together into a craggy dough. Knead the dough on a floured work surface by stretching it out with the palm of your hand, rolling it back, then stretching it out again. Keep stretching and rolling until you have a smooth, soft dough. Shape into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and rest for at least 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, soak the porcini in the hot stock for 15 minutes. Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the onion, celery, carrot, half the garlic and the bay leaves with a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in the drained lentils and cook for a further 1 minute.
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Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid, and chop. Add to the pan with the tomatoes. Rinse out the tin with a little porcini stock and add to the pan with the tomato purée, remaining stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, add the parmesan rind, if using, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until the ragù has thickened and the lentils are cooked.
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Meanwhile, to make the pasta, flatten the dough with your hands, then put it through a pasta machine at the widest setting. Continue to roll the pasta through the machine, turning down the settings as you go until you get a wafer-thin sheet of pasta. If your pasta machine has a tagliatelle cutter, put the sheet through; otherwise, cut into 1cm-wide strips. Keep the pasta dough and tagliatelle covered as you make them to prevent them drying out.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the remaining garlic for 1 minute. Add the button mushrooms, season and stir-fry for 4 minutes. About 10 minutes before the end of the ragù cooking time, stir in the cooked mushrooms and season.
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Cook the tagliatelle for 2 minutes in a large pan of salted boiling water (or to pack instructions if using dried). Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the ragù, mixing well and adding pasta water to loosen. Serve with grated parmesan.
*Use a vegetarian alternative, if required.
