Homemade Pasta with Sicilian Meatballs – Authentic Italian Tomato Ragu

Welcome to today’s video where I’ll be guiding you through the authentic and heartwarming process of making homemade Italian pasta from scratch paired with juicy, flavorful polpettine (Italian meatballs) in a rich tomato ragu. This step-by-step recipe brings together the rustic traditions of Italy and modern home cooking, showcasing the art of making fresh pasta dough, kneading it by hand, and forming delicate tagliatelle strands. We’ll also dive into crafting tender meatballs, made with a secret ingredient—hidden vegetables—that are perfect for picky eaters and packed with flavor. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a pasta-making beginner, this recipe is easy to follow and deeply satisfying. From selecting the right flour mix for the pasta to simmering the perfect tomato sauce for the meatballs, you’ll learn the secrets of Sicilian-style home cooking. Get ready to elevate your family dinners with this delicious, authentic Italian pasta recipe. With every roll of dough and simmer of sauce, you’ll bring the taste of Italy straight into your kitchen.

Key Chapters and Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: The Joy of Homemade Pasta and Meatballs
01:32 – Kneading and Resting the Dough
03:15 – Making Spinach-Infused Meatballs
07:08 – Preparing the Ragu Sauce (With Hidden Vegetables)
09:20 – Cooking the Polpettine
10:02 – Rolling and Cutting Fresh Tagliatelle
13:23 – Cooking and Serving the Pasta
14:22 – Plating and Garnishing: The Final Touches
15:19 – Tasting and Wrap-Up

List of Ingredients
For the Pasta:
400g plain flour
100g bread flour
5 medium eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

For the Polpettine (Meatballs):
500g minced beef (or pork/beef mix)
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 cup cooked spinach (chopped)
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Ragu Sauce:
1 liter tomato passata
1 medium white onion
1 medium red onion
1 carrot
1 celery stick
1 bell pepper
1 garlic clove
Olive oil
Fresh basil for garnish

Cooking Instructions
To start, we’re going to make our pasta dough. Begin by sifting 400g of plain flour and 100g of bread flour onto your worktop. This flour combination ensures a tender but textured pasta. Make a well in the center, then crack in your eggs, adding a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Use a fork to slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs. Once it’s too thick to stir, get your hands in and start kneading the dough. It may seem tough at first, but with some patience, the dough will become smooth and elastic. After about 10 minutes of kneading, wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, let’s move on to the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine your minced beef, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, and spinach. The spinach not only adds flavor but sneaks in some veggies for the kids. Mix in your breadcrumbs to help bind everything together. Roll the mixture into small balls—polpettine—and set them aside.

Next, let’s get the ragu going. Chop your onions, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and garlic finely. Sauté them in a pan with a little olive oil until soft. Add in your tomato passata and a splash of water, then let the sauce simmer gently while you cook the meatballs. Drop the polpettine into the simmering sauce, making sure they’re all covered, and let everything cook for about 25 minutes.

Now that the sauce is bubbling away, it’s time to roll out the pasta. Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each one through your pasta machine, starting on the widest setting and gradually moving to thinner settings until you reach the desired thickness. Then, pass it through the tagliatelle setting to create long, beautiful pasta strands.

Cook your tagliatelle in boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes until al dente, then toss with the sauce and serve with plenty of meatballs. Don’t forget to top it off with fresh basil and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan.

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