These sauces are big and heavy enough so that you can usually do without a second course, unless you serve very small amounts. For the most part, too, they are long-cooking sauces, not what you’d whip up while the water is coming to a boil. They need slow simmering to tenderize the meat and transfer its flavor to the sauce.
Meat Sauce, Bolognese Style (Ragu)
Ragu doesn’t require much work, but it does require occasional attention over the course of a morning or afternoon (the variation, however, is pretty fast). Double or triple the recipe if you like (it freezes well).
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped bacon or pancetta8 ounces lean ground beef
- 8 ounces lean ground pork (or use all beef)
- 3/4 cup dry white wine or juice from the tomatoes
- One 28- or 35-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 cup beef or chicken stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions:
- Put the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and bacon. Cook, stir them occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, for about 10 minutes.
- Add the ground meat and cook stir them and break up any lumps, until all traces of red are gone, for about 5 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat a bit, and cook, stir occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, for about 5 minutes.
- Squeeze the tomatoes by using a fork or your hands and add them to the pot; stir, and then add the stock. Turn the heat to low and cook at a slow simmer, stir them occasionally and break up the tomatoes and any clumps of meat that remain.
- After an hour or so, sprinkle salt and pepper. Cook for one more hour, until the entire liquid has evaporated and the sauce is very thick. At this point, keep the sauce in fridge for a day or two or freeze it for several weeks. Reheat before proceeding.
- Add the cream and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately with any cooked pasta, passing grated Parmesan, if you like, at the table.
Thirty-Minute Ragu.
- For this recipe, lamb is best for its bold flavor, but beef, veal, pork, turkey, or chicken will also work: Omit the carrot, celery, bacon, white wine, and stock. Substitute 8 to 12 ounces ground lamb (or other meat) for the pork and beef. Use 28-ounce canned tomatoes with the juice and reduce the cream to 1/2 cup. In Step 1, cook the onion until tender, for about 5 minutes.
- Proceed with Steps 2 and 3, but cook the tomatoes just until they start to break down, for about 15 minutes; add the cream and cook for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 pound linguine or other pasta, drain, and then toss with the ragu. Garnish with freshly grated pecorino Romano and serve.
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