Meat Spaghetti Sauce - Come Dio Comanda (like God wants)
This is a very good and very opinionated recipe on how to prepare the most common meat sauce for spaghetti - we call it ragu`.
If you talk Italians they will tell you that there is only one right way to make ragu` and they will go on to tell you the right way to do it. After you talk to many Italians, you will realize there are as many ragu` recipes as there are Italians, and none of us is willing to acknowledge that one would even consider preparing ragu` differently from the way WE are doing it. I am proposing a pork ragu` because we do not raise beef at the farm - there are probably 1/3 of Italian cursing me because a "real" ragu` has only beef and another 1/3 that is cursing because it does not have 1/2 pork and 1/2 beef. If you choose to do the ragu with the beef, make sure you get grass fed beef and NOT lean. Despite these discrepancies, there are few things we do agree on, and those are listed at the bottom when I list the key steps on how to prepare the noodles. So here you have it, the best way to make a ragu`
If you talk Italians they will tell you that there is only one right way to make ragu` and they will go on to tell you the right way to do it. After you talk to many Italians, you will realize there are as many ragu` recipes as there are Italians, and none of us is willing to acknowledge that one would even consider preparing ragu` differently from the way WE are doing it. I am proposing a pork ragu` because we do not raise beef at the farm - there are probably 1/3 of Italian cursing me because a "real" ragu` has only beef and another 1/3 that is cursing because it does not have 1/2 pork and 1/2 beef. If you choose to do the ragu with the beef, make sure you get grass fed beef and NOT lean. Despite these discrepancies, there are few things we do agree on, and those are listed at the bottom when I list the key steps on how to prepare the noodles. So here you have it, the best way to make a ragu`
Ingredients
1 Lb Agricola Sausages (of course). Buy the loose sausages, not the links and choose the Grazing Vermont or the regular Fresh Pork Sausages –
they are the same…. It is a long story.
2 garlic cloves
1 yellow onion 10 or 12 small basil leaves from the tip of the plant and 1 full basil tip (about 4 or 5 leaves all together
8 medium-sized fresh tomatoes from your garden or from the Farmer’s Market. Choose meaty ones and medium sized – stay away from large ones
– bigger is not better. If not in season, buy 1 can of crushed tomatoes (simple ones, do not buy those with basil or other stuff). Note: absolutely do NOT try this recipe with tomatoes bought at a grocery store
3 Portobello mushroom hats (if you like mushrooms, otherwise skip)
2 spoons extra virgin olive oil (choose the darkest one in the store)
4 oz of good chianti
they are the same…. It is a long story.
2 garlic cloves
1 yellow onion 10 or 12 small basil leaves from the tip of the plant and 1 full basil tip (about 4 or 5 leaves all together
8 medium-sized fresh tomatoes from your garden or from the Farmer’s Market. Choose meaty ones and medium sized – stay away from large ones
– bigger is not better. If not in season, buy 1 can of crushed tomatoes (simple ones, do not buy those with basil or other stuff). Note: absolutely do NOT try this recipe with tomatoes bought at a grocery store
3 Portobello mushroom hats (if you like mushrooms, otherwise skip)
2 spoons extra virgin olive oil (choose the darkest one in the store)
4 oz of good chianti
Procedure
OPTION 1. You have fresh tomatoes. Prepare your tomatoes first.
Make a small cut around the equator of the tomato and put them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds (till the skin starts peeling). The water needs to be at a rolling boil. Do not let the tomatoes in there long or all the tomato goodness will be lost in the water. After you have promptly removed the tomatoes, peel them and cut them in 4 chunks making sure you are not losing any of the juices. Some people suggest to take out the seeds – I like to keep those. Now proceed with the rest of the recipe as indicated in Option 2.
OPTION 2: can of crashed tomatoes. This will be best spaghetti sauce you have ever had, until you try option 1, but a darn good try and still better than most things out there.
Peel and cut the onions in pieces about 1 inch long and 1/3 inch wide. Peal the garlic and then smash it using the flat part of the knife (if you
want to do this Italian style – otherwise mince the 3 cloves). Remove the sausage from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 min. If the sausages are in links remove the casing.
Sauté the onions and garlic in a medium size sauce pot at medium/low temperature. Once the onions are transparent remove the large chunks of garlic (if you have minced the garlic leave it in there) and put the sausages in the pot and break them with a wooden spoon so that you do not have any large chunks of sausages in there. Let it cook on low heat and allow the fat to melt in the pot. You may still have to use your spoon to keep breaking the meat in smaller chunks.
If you like mushrooms, clean the hat of the mushrooms with a dump paper towel and then cut the hats into ¾ inch squares, otherwise move to the
next step.
Once the meat is cooked (no longer pink), add the wine and turn the heat up to high. Mix every so often to make sure it does not stick to the
pot and allow all the alcohol to evaporate. How do you know if the alcohol has evaporated? You can use one of two ways:
1) place your nose right where all the vapor comes out and inhale deeply. Are you feeling drunk? If yes, there is still alcohol in there;
2) take a spoon and taste the liquid left in the pot.
If you like mushrooms this is the time to add them. Turn down the heat to medium as soon as you have added the shrooms and let them cook till most of the water they let out has evaporated. If you do not like mushrooms go to the next step
Time to add the tomatoes. If you are using fresh tomatoes add the chunks of tomatoes, a pinch of sugar and 4 oz of water. If you are using the canned tomatoes just poor the can in there. Add a little salt (consider that much of the liquid will evaporate so do not add too much salt, you can always add it later). Let the mix simmer at low heat for 40 to 50 minutes or until it reaches the right consistency. During the last 5 minutes cut the 12 basil leaves with your fingers and mix into the sauce. Taste the sauce and add the desired amount of salt and pepper. Leave the basil tip for decoration – to place on top of the spaghetti plate.
Make a small cut around the equator of the tomato and put them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds (till the skin starts peeling). The water needs to be at a rolling boil. Do not let the tomatoes in there long or all the tomato goodness will be lost in the water. After you have promptly removed the tomatoes, peel them and cut them in 4 chunks making sure you are not losing any of the juices. Some people suggest to take out the seeds – I like to keep those. Now proceed with the rest of the recipe as indicated in Option 2.
OPTION 2: can of crashed tomatoes. This will be best spaghetti sauce you have ever had, until you try option 1, but a darn good try and still better than most things out there.
Peel and cut the onions in pieces about 1 inch long and 1/3 inch wide. Peal the garlic and then smash it using the flat part of the knife (if you
want to do this Italian style – otherwise mince the 3 cloves). Remove the sausage from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 min. If the sausages are in links remove the casing.
Sauté the onions and garlic in a medium size sauce pot at medium/low temperature. Once the onions are transparent remove the large chunks of garlic (if you have minced the garlic leave it in there) and put the sausages in the pot and break them with a wooden spoon so that you do not have any large chunks of sausages in there. Let it cook on low heat and allow the fat to melt in the pot. You may still have to use your spoon to keep breaking the meat in smaller chunks.
If you like mushrooms, clean the hat of the mushrooms with a dump paper towel and then cut the hats into ¾ inch squares, otherwise move to the
next step.
Once the meat is cooked (no longer pink), add the wine and turn the heat up to high. Mix every so often to make sure it does not stick to the
pot and allow all the alcohol to evaporate. How do you know if the alcohol has evaporated? You can use one of two ways:
1) place your nose right where all the vapor comes out and inhale deeply. Are you feeling drunk? If yes, there is still alcohol in there;
2) take a spoon and taste the liquid left in the pot.
If you like mushrooms this is the time to add them. Turn down the heat to medium as soon as you have added the shrooms and let them cook till most of the water they let out has evaporated. If you do not like mushrooms go to the next step
Time to add the tomatoes. If you are using fresh tomatoes add the chunks of tomatoes, a pinch of sugar and 4 oz of water. If you are using the canned tomatoes just poor the can in there. Add a little salt (consider that much of the liquid will evaporate so do not add too much salt, you can always add it later). Let the mix simmer at low heat for 40 to 50 minutes or until it reaches the right consistency. During the last 5 minutes cut the 12 basil leaves with your fingers and mix into the sauce. Taste the sauce and add the desired amount of salt and pepper. Leave the basil tip for decoration – to place on top of the spaghetti plate.
How not to ruin the sauce: key steps to prepare spaghetti (or any type of Italian noodle).
People do not realize the importance of the noodles. They tend to over-sauce their noodles to hide the taste because their noodles are inadequate.
You need good noodles or you cannot fully enjoy this dish. Here are few simple rules:
1) buy ONLY DeCecco or Barilla. Or you can make your own egg-noodle pasta. I will teach you how to in the future.
2) do NOT break the noodles! For the love of the poor souls who made those noodles, if they thought the noodles should be shorter they would have made them so. If the noodles do not fit into your pot, toss away that useless pot and get yourself one of the right size – or buy a type of noodle that fits into your pot. Italians have made more than 200 types of noodles, I am sure one of those fits your pot. The size of the pot and amount of water is actually quite important because if the noodles are crowded they will stick. You do not need to add oil or anything to the water when cooking the noodles. Just make sure the water is at a rolling boil and that the pot is big enough for the noodles to frolic around.
3) carefully follow the timing instructions indicated on the box. Do not attempt the tossing-of-the-noodles-on-the-wall approach. if you ever saw
an Italian tossing pasta to the wall it was probably because they missed someone's head, and if the noodles stuck to the walls they were probably trying to hit the head of the cook who overcooked those noodles. Follow instructions.
4) as soon as the noodles are ready toss them in a colander then pick up the colander and make those noodles dance in the air a few times. You
want to get that water out of there.
5) KEY POINT HERE: immediately mix the noodles with the sauce. I have seen many families letting the noodles sit in one dish and the sauce sit in
another dish and then people serve themselves of the amount of noodles and the amount of sauce they want. This is simply not allowed. If you let the noodles cool off, even just so slightly, without a sauce the gluten in them will make them stick to each other – you will have inadequate noodles. Immediately toss them back in the pot where you cooked them (but now there is no water) and gently add the sauce and mix it in with a wooden spoon.
6) EVERYONE AT THE TABLE, NOW!!!! Not in 10 minutes, not in 5 minutes, but NOW! Or actually, 5 minutes ago. Pasta needs to be served and
eaten hot. If you serve it warm or slightly cool you will have lost all the aroma.
Try it this way … and tell me what you think.
You need good noodles or you cannot fully enjoy this dish. Here are few simple rules:
1) buy ONLY DeCecco or Barilla. Or you can make your own egg-noodle pasta. I will teach you how to in the future.
2) do NOT break the noodles! For the love of the poor souls who made those noodles, if they thought the noodles should be shorter they would have made them so. If the noodles do not fit into your pot, toss away that useless pot and get yourself one of the right size – or buy a type of noodle that fits into your pot. Italians have made more than 200 types of noodles, I am sure one of those fits your pot. The size of the pot and amount of water is actually quite important because if the noodles are crowded they will stick. You do not need to add oil or anything to the water when cooking the noodles. Just make sure the water is at a rolling boil and that the pot is big enough for the noodles to frolic around.
3) carefully follow the timing instructions indicated on the box. Do not attempt the tossing-of-the-noodles-on-the-wall approach. if you ever saw
an Italian tossing pasta to the wall it was probably because they missed someone's head, and if the noodles stuck to the walls they were probably trying to hit the head of the cook who overcooked those noodles. Follow instructions.
4) as soon as the noodles are ready toss them in a colander then pick up the colander and make those noodles dance in the air a few times. You
want to get that water out of there.
5) KEY POINT HERE: immediately mix the noodles with the sauce. I have seen many families letting the noodles sit in one dish and the sauce sit in
another dish and then people serve themselves of the amount of noodles and the amount of sauce they want. This is simply not allowed. If you let the noodles cool off, even just so slightly, without a sauce the gluten in them will make them stick to each other – you will have inadequate noodles. Immediately toss them back in the pot where you cooked them (but now there is no water) and gently add the sauce and mix it in with a wooden spoon.
6) EVERYONE AT THE TABLE, NOW!!!! Not in 10 minutes, not in 5 minutes, but NOW! Or actually, 5 minutes ago. Pasta needs to be served and
eaten hot. If you serve it warm or slightly cool you will have lost all the aroma.
Try it this way … and tell me what you think.
