Fresh Handmade Pappardelle

A properly made ragù clinging to the folds of homemade noodles is one of the most satisfying experiences accessible to the sense of taste,” wrote the late great Marcella Hazan in her seminal 1973 The Classic Italian Cookbook. (That book has gone out of print, but it is included in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.) Truer words have never been written, and saucing this pasta with Hazan’s Meat Sauce, Bolognese Style will lusciously give you that experience. But making pasta by hand — without use of a pasta machine, but rolling it out with a rolling pin and cutting the noodles with a knife — is one of the most satisfying experiences accessible to the sense of touch (that you can get in the kitchen, anyway!). The method here is inspired by Evan Funke’s American Sfoglino, a wonderful, beautiful and inspiring book, though ours is simplified. If you want to use a pasta machine, you’ll want to use this recipe. Same ingredients, but different method.

Makes two approximately 9-ounce dough balls, for 4 to 5 main-course servings.