Preparation

Seal the beef in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over a brisk heat, then add the roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic and anchovies. Add the rest of the olive oil and the water, cover the pan, and simmer the beef gently for at least 2 hours until tender. Leave to cool. In the meantime make a volcano-shaped pyramid with the flour and break 4 eggs into the hollow at the top. Knead the eggs into the flour until they are completely absorbed. Form a ball, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Roll out two long (approx. 30 cm), thin sheets of pasta. Mince the cooked beef. Sauté the finely-chopped carrot, onion and celery gently for 10 minutes, raise the heat and add the minced beef. Cook for another 5 minutes, add the white wine, evaporate and add salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture in a food processor with the ricotta and parmigiano reggiano, add herbs as desired, and leave to cool.

Place the sheets of pasta on a pastry board and brush them with whisked egg yolk to seal the edges. Use a piping bag to pipe long strips of stuffing about a centimetre apart onto the pasta. Lay the other strip of pasta on top of the first, press gently to make sure no air remains trapped inside and cut into strips with a serrated edge pastry cutter, pinching the edges to seal as you go. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling water with a drop of olive oil to stop the pasta sticking for a few minutes. Drain and toss in sage and butter. Serve in a spiral, add grated parmigiano reggiano and freshly-ground black pepper.

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