Maccheroncini di Campofilone pasta with Marchigiano ragù.
Maccheroncini di Campofilone pasta with Marchigiano ragù is a traditional recipe from the Le Marche region in Central Italy. Made with chicken, beef and pork, this rich slow cooked Marche-style ragù is so full of flavour. And the pasta is melt in your mouth delicious!
The Pasta.
Maccheroncini di Campofilone is a traditional egg pasta from the Medieval town of Campofilone. This pasta dates back to the 1400s. Interestingly, most types of egg pasta were originally made to be used while fresh. However, this ultra-fine ribbon pasta was invented as a way to have dried egg pasta all through the year.
Today, this pasta is dried flat on sheets of special parchment paper and sold wrapped in paper inside a characteristic cardboard box with a plastic window through which you can see the pasta. You can read more about the history of maccheroncini di Campofilone if you click like.
Of course, you can use other types of pasta with Marchigiano ragù. I would recommend you use a pasta that is similar to the one I used. Thin ribbons like tagliolini or strands such as spaghetti or even angel hair.
The ragu.
Traditionally maccheroncini di Campofilone is eaten with a meat sauce known as ragù Marchigiano (Marche-style ragu). This ragù is considered a rival to Bolognese sauce. The main difference lies in the fact that for Bolognese sauce Italians use only pancetta and beef skirt or a mix of ground beef and pork. Instead, in Marchigiano ragù, it is customary to put in a bigger mixture of meats.
Recipes can include a combination of veal, beef, chicken pieces and giblets, pork meat and ribs, sausages, lardo and sometimes, even duck meat. Many recipes also add a beef marrow bone to the sauce.
The recipe I have used here, I found on the website of a producer of maccheroncini di Campofilone. It’s a simpler version of the official Marche-style ragu recipe which you can find on the Accademia Italiana della Cucina website. However, I did change one ingredient which was the chicken giblets. Although chicken giblets are pretty traditional, I made this pasta with Marchigiano ragù with ground chicken instead. I’m not a big fan of chicken giblets in sauce. However, you can add them or replace the ground chicken with giblets if you like them.
Other ingredients.
Many recipes for pasta with Marchigiano ragù are seasoned with spices such as cloves or nutmeg. The recipe I followed didn’t include these spices. Instead, I used fresh rosemary, parsley, sage and marjoram.
As with many of my tomato based sauces, I like to use a combination of fresh cherry tomatoes and passata. The original of this recipe called for 500 g of peeled tomatoes. You can use fresh peeled tomatoes, canned peeled tomatoes or a combination of fresh and passata as I did.
The longer you let it simmer, the richer it will be!
Cooking Marchigiano ragù.
Like most Italian ragù recipes, this sauce requires long slow cooking. The longer you let it simmer, the richer it will be. So, for a really flavourful sauce, plan for 2-3 hours of stove-top cooking time. The results are so delicious the time it takes is definitely worth it!
If you do try this Marchigiano ragu recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon Appetito!
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Maccheroncini di Campofilone with Marchigiano ragu (Marche-style ragu)
Ingredients
- 300 g maccheroncini di Campofilone (11oz) or spaghetti
- 1-2 carrots finely chopped
- 1-2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 100 g ground beef (3.5oz)
- 100 g ground chicken (3.5oz) or chicken giblets
- 100 g ground pork 3.5oz)
- 1-2 beef marrow bones
- 500 g sauce tomatoes fresh peeled or canned
- fresh parsley
- fresh marjoram
- fresh rosemary
- fresh sage
- ½ glass white wine
- 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 100 g pecorino cheese grated
Instructions
- In a deep skillet or dutch oven, brown the chopped onion in the olive oil, then add the chopped carrot and celery, salt and pepper. Add the beef bone and all the other meats. Then add a bunch of rosemary, marjoram, sage and parsley.
- Cook stirring frequently until all the meat is browned. ( I started in a deep frying pan and then transferred the sauce to my Dutch oven to finish and simmer)
- Add the wine. When the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomatoes. Cook partly covered over a low heat for 2-3 hours. Stir the sauce every now and again and if it seems dry add a little water. When the sauce is ready, remove the beef marrow bone.
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the maccheroncini until al dente (usually 1 minute) When the pasta is ready drain it and add to the pan with the sauce. ( I put the sauce back into a deep frying pan to make this easier as I cooked it in my Dutch oven)
- Mix together carefully and serve immediately sprinkled with grated pecorino.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin for Later
Jay Nelson says
Hi Jacqui,
The recipe really interests me, but there's no chance I can buy the pasta. I'll have to make it which I would prefer. However, my knife skills are poor so I'll have to use a pasta machine.
I have a very old Mercato Atlas 150 which has a wide cutter, half way between fettuccine and tagliatelle and a narrow cutter that seems to be spaghettini. Would that work as well for the pasta?
I'd like to make this!
-- jay
Jacqui says
Hi Jay, if the narrowest cutter is for spaghettini, you can of course use it to make the pasta for this recipe. It won't taste exactly the same as the original pasta is very fine, egg rich and dried. But, it will still taste very good. Alternatively, if you can find it, you could use store bought fresh or dried tagliolini which is narrower than tagliatelle.
Lathiya says
The pasta looks spectacular and simply delicious. Makes a perfect dinner at weekends.
Stephanie says
This pasta recipe is so full of flavor but so simple to make - we absolutely loved it!!
Gloria says
We love pasta. This recipe looks delicious. I know my family would enjoy this hearty recipe any night of the week.
Jacquelyn Hastert says
I am falling in love with this pasta dish! All the flavors you have combined has me drooling on my keyboard.
Mimi says
My mouth is watering just from a thought about this pasta - it must be so flavorsome and delicious! Definitely the recipe I will make next time I decide to fix pasta - thank you!
April says
I think recipes form Central Italy are my favorite. I can't believe how many delicious pasta recipes there are there! And it is very seldom that I am mixing pork, chicken and beef, so great to have this recipe handy!
Jori says
Yum! Love the use of marrow bones. They bring soooo much flavour. I can't wait to try this.
Amanda says
I love that you use bone marrow in this recipe. It adds such great flavor and a nice depth. Thanks for sharing!
Maman de sara says
Pasta with red and white meat, what a great idea!
Dee says
This dish is so beautiful and comforting! I love that you added bone marrow, it adds so much flavor to dishes.
Byron Thomas says
Gorgeous sauce - everyone at our dinner table loved it! I did not include the marrow bone just because they're really hard to find where I live. The first taste of this pasta sauce brought me right back to when I was a kid and a family friend - who had moved from Italy to Canada - made pasta sauce which she would simmer for hours and hours. Just once, it felt good to slow down and make a pasta sauce that took hours rather than minutes. My daughter has already asked me to keep this recipe for her for when she moves out. 🙂
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
I love the white wine and the bone marrow in the sauce. I imagine this as being really rich and so satisfying. I haven't made sauce like this before, but it sounds wonderful.
Susan says
This looks delicious! I love all of the fresh herbs and the mix of meats. You're kitchen must smell wonderful!
Jagruti Dhanecha says
I love good pasta dish, especially with lots of herbs which adds tons of good flavours to it. Such a comforting and tasty looking dish.