Ragu is a traditional Italian pasta sauce with origins in Bologna and Naples. In Bologna, they combine ground meat with a battuto of finely chopped celery, onions, carrots and celery, cooked in lard or butter and add wine and tomatoes, seasonings and ten thousand other variations.

Marcella Hazen advocates the cooking of ground meats in milk before adding wine and tomatoes. This famous Bolognese Meat sauce marries perfectly with the local egg based pasta of Tagliatelle or Tortellini.

In Naples in the south, whole pieces of meat are cooked in olive oil with the battuto and wine and tomatoes. The meat is removed, leaving a rich tomato sauce which is served as a first (Pasta) course over Spaghetti or Rigatoni. The meat is served separately as the second (Carne) course which is followed by a salad or vegetable course.

My ragu is a combination of the two regions. The receipt below was inspired by Stefano de Pieri’s Rich Tomato Sauce with Cavatelli. (Cavatelli is a simple, short, hand made pasta).

I don’t use the ground meats of the north preferring to use large chunks, ideally on the bone for the added body and flavour they render.

Cuts of chuck and neck are highly desirable as they are not too lean and render a sweeter flavour. I don’t serve this meat separately because the cooking often leaves it too exhausted for Australian preferences, I prefer to break it up with a fork and serve it in the sauce. Papperdelle or thickly sliced Lasagna sheets, are an ideal pasta for this sauce.

Serve to a loud and raucous table on a weekend with crisp green salad, good Italian bread, additional extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese and a full bodied red wine such as the Southern Italian varietal Aglianico.

Give the wine plenty of air before serving. Finish the meal with a bowl of unprepared seasonal fruits and an excellent piece of cheese and more bread.

If someone has been good enough to bring a cake, enjoy it with strong coffee and liqueur glasses of Grappa.

RAGU

You can prepare the ragu a day or two in advance if you wish. Store cooled sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently, perhaps adding a little water initially and stirring it once or twice.

You will need a large heavy based pot or pan about 5 litres in size with a firm fitting lid for long slow cooking.

You must not be intimidated by the meat ingredients listed below. All you need is a conversation with your butcher to discuss with him what you need. The recommended cuts are suggestions which can be substituted with alternatives if necessary.

Ingredients (For 6 people)

• ½ cup Olive Oil
• 1 peeled carrot, chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1 lamb neck, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks or, if unavailable, some other lamb on the bone, 1 small lamb hock would be suitable, cut into several large pieces by the butcher otherwise 2 bbq or chump lamb chops
• 500g stewing beef on the bone or 1 large piece of beef osso bucco (beef shin)
• 300g pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 200ml fruity red wine
• 500g or more chopped and peeled tomatoes
• Some herbs such as thyme, bay leaf and parsley stalks tied together with a piece of white kitchen string.
• Grated Pecorino or Italian Parmesan cheese to serve.

Method

• Heat the oil in the saucepan and gently fry the onion on low heat until translucent, add the garlic and then the celery and carrot, stirring until they begin to soften.
• Add the meat, a handful at a time, brown gently and set aside as you go. Don’t rush this by turning the heat up too high otherwise you will burn the pan and have to clean it before continuing.
• Once all the meat is browned, loosen anything stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, while adding the wine and a little water
• Return all the meat to the pan, season with salt and pepper and add the tomatoes and the herbs.
• Gently bring the pan to a boil and reduce to a slow simmer and cook covered with a firm fitting lid for about 2 hours, the meat needs to be tender and falling off the bone. You may need to add a little water during the cooking time, to maintain sufficient liquid in the pan. It is important that you do not allow the sauce to cook too fast though; the liquid should be barely trembling.
• Once the meat is cooked, remove the bones and herbs from the pan and break up any chunks of meat with a fork, stirring it into the rich, thick tomato sauce.

To Serve

• Prepare a green salad
• Have crusty bread on the table
• Heat the Ragu
• Cook 500g pasta according to instructions on the packet. You will need a large pot of about 5 litres. Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the water to pour over the drained pasta. This lubricates it before adding the sauce.
• Sprinkle grated pecorino over the cooked pasta before adding the Ragu
• Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
• Provide extra cheese on the table

Buon Apetito!

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