Dinner Party “Pollo is Back” Full Menu

I just came back home in Italy to spend some quality time with friends and family. Since while I was gone, my best friends missed some important moments of my life, such as my Birthday, my recent graduation and the birth of this blog, it is time to catch up with celebrations. A dinner party is definitely the best way to do it!

The menu for the Dinner Party includes:

Starter: Spinach Pudding with a fondue of Gorgonzola and Straw Potatoes flavored with Curcuma

First course: Rice Timbale with double Ragù

Second Course: Honey and Mustard Glazed Sausages with carrot puree (for this recipe search in this blog)

Dessert: Plum Tart

Sunday Special: Tagliatelle al Ragù Granma's Style

This is one of the most traditional dishes of my region, Emilia Romagna. For most people from the area, this dish means Sunday at Granma’s. The actual Tagliatelle should be hand made by your grandma, otherwise it won’t be the same…. but since my Granma, Giannina also called Carmen, who is a wizard of home-made egg pasta, is not available, I bought pre-made Tagliatelle. Unfortunately I am still working on my skills of handmade pasta but at least I can make my own Ragù. There is one thing sure in this world: I AM NEVER GONNA BUY A PREMADE BOLOGNESE SAUCE EVER and you should do the same. 

You’ll need:

·      Egg Tagliatelle

·      500 g of minced pork

·      500 g of minced beef

·      1 carrot

·      1 celery

·      1 big white onion

·      A tube of tomato concentrate (you’ll need half)

·      A glass of dry white wine

·      Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

How to make ragù:

Finely chop the vegetable. Sauté (without burning!) celery, carrot, and onion with extra virgin olive oil.

Add minced meat and after it start absorbing all the flavors, add the glass of dry white wine.

Melt the tomato concentrate in some hot water and pour it into the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let it cook for 3 hours at lower heat (not less than 2 and a half) without burning. If it gets dry, add hot water.