Darina Allen: How to make a good ragu for pasta and other easy Italian recipes

Method

1. First make the pastry.

2. Sieve the flour with the salt onto a piece of silicone paper. Heat the water (or water and milk) and butter in a high-sided saucepan until the butter is melted. Bring to a fast rolling boil, take from the heat. (Prolonged boiling evaporates the water and changes the proportions of the dough).

3. Immediately the pan is taken from the heat, add all the flour at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for a few seconds until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan to form a ball. Return the saucepan back onto a low heat and stir for 30 seconds - 1 minute or until the mixture starts to furr the bottom of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and cool for a few seconds.

4. Meanwhile, set aside one egg, break it and whisk it in a bowl. Add the remaining eggs into the dough, one by one with a wooden spoon, beating thoroughly after each addition. Make sure the dough comes back to the same texture each time before you add another egg. When it will no longer form a ball in the centre of the saucepan, add the beaten egg little by little. Use just enough to make a mixture that is very shiny and just drops reluctantly from the spoon in a sheet.

5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Stir in the finely chopped anchovies and mozzarella.

7. Heat the oil in a deep-fry, drop a morsel of the mixture into the hot oil. Cook until it puffs and crisps.

8. Taste and correct the seasoning.

9. Fill the remaining mixture into a piping bag with an eclair nozzle. Pipe little blobs into the hot oil a few at a time, snipping each one off with a scissors or small knife or drop generous teaspoons into the hot oil.

10. Cook for 3-5 minutes turning frequently depending on size until crisp and golden.

11. Cook until puffed, crisp and golden. Roll in finely grated Parmesan if you fancy.

12. Drain on kitchen paper and serve while still hot sprinkled with lots of finely grated Parmesan.

Method

1. First make the pizza dough.

2. Sieve the flour, salt and sugar into a large wide mixing bowl. Rub in the butter and sprinkle in the fast-acting yeast, mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the oil and most of the lukewarm water. Mix to a loose dough. You can add more water or flour if needed.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work top, cover and leave to relax for about five minutes.

4. Knead the dough for about ten minutes or until smooth and springy (if kneading in a food mixer with a dough hook, 5 minutes is usually long enough).

5. Leave the dough to relax again for about ten minutes.

6. Pinch off small pieces. Roll gently into 4-6cm pizza sticks.

7. Heat oil in a deep-fry.

8. Meanwhile, make the tomato and basil salad...

9. Whisk all the ingredients together for the dressing.

10. Slice the tomatoes around the equator, season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar, toss in a little dressing and scatter with fresh basil leaves.

11. Just before serving, toss the rocket leaves in just enough dressing to make the leaves glisten.

12. Scatter the tomatoes over the salad also.

13. Back to the centrepiece...

14. Drop the angioletti a few at a time into the hot oil.

15. Cook until puffed, golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

16. Sprinkle the rocket leaves with extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of vinegar, flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper and toss.

17. Transfer 6-10 angioletti (depending on size) into a serving bowl

18. Scatter with some fresh rocket leaves and top with a couple of tablespoons of cherry tomato and basil salad.

19. Enjoy immediately with a little freshly grated Parmesan on top while the angioletti are still hot and crisp.

Method

1. In Italy they sometimes use an earthenware pot for making ragu, but I find that a heavy enamelled cast-iron casserole with high sides works very well.

2. Heat the butter with the oil and sauté the onion briefly over medium heat until just translucent. Add the celery and carrot and cook gently for 2 minutes. Next, add the minced beef, crumbling it in the pot with a fork. Add salt to taste, stir, and cook only until the meat has lost its raw red colour (Marcella says that if it browns it will lose its delicacy.)

3. Add the wine, turn the heat up to medium high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the wine has evaporated. Turn the heat down to medium, add in the milk and the freshly grated nutmeg, and cook until the milk has evaporated, stirring every now and then. Next add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. When the tomatoes have started to bubble, turn the heat down to the very lowest so that the sauce cooks at the gentlest simmer - just an occasional bubble. I use a heat diffuser mat for this.

4. Cook uncovered for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours (better still 2 or even 3), depending on how concentrated you like it, stirring occasionally. If it reduces too much add a little water and continue to cook. When it is finally cooked, taste and correct seasoning. Because of the length of time involved in cooking this, I feel it would be worthwhile to make at least twice the recipe.

5. Serve with tagliatelle, preferably homemade and lots of freshly grated Parmesan.