Ragù

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
  
• 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
  
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil (or any other good cooking oil)
  
• 200ml-300ml red wine
  
• 1.2kg ground beef
  
• 2kg pelati (peeled whole tomatoes, canned)
  
• pepper, salt
  

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chopped vegetables, and cook until they start turning golden - about 10 minutes. Don't stir it constantly; let it cook by itself - just toss it once in a while.

Add the beef, and cook it well. Again, don't stir too much, but make sure it doesn't burn at the bottom.

Add the wine, stir, then add the pelati through a rough sieve - discard anything that won't go through the sieve. Cook for about 40 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Finally add salt and pepper to taste.

Remarks

Use a good oil, but it certainly doesn't have to be extra virgin olive oil; that is only used on anything just before serving.

The wine: don't use anything you wouldn't drink. "Cooking wine" is a sin! But an inexpensive Chilean Merlot or Cabernet-Sauvignon is perfectly OK.

You can use the celery leaves as well. Crush them, put them into a cheese cloth (like a

bouquet garni

), and add it together with the

pelati

.

This sauce is of course for more than a single meal and can be deep-frozen (in portions). Use with spaghetti, bucatini, fettuccine, pappardelle, rigatoni, lasagna, strozzapreti, garganelli, or

take your pick

.

P.S. after cooking the sauce for 40 minutes, there is not the slightest trace of alcohol left from the wine, so it is perfectly safe for children or people who don't drink.

[-pops-]

Nice!

Interesting variant on this is to add a small amount of finely chopped liver or about, I suppose for this amount 100g, fine liver pâté dispersed with the meat. You can't taste the pâté as such but it gives an added richness to the sauce. Told to me by an Italian friend.

[andsome]

Sounds good. :D :D :D

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Interesting variant on this is to add a small amount of finely chopped liver or about, I suppose for this amount 100g, fine liver pâté dispersed with the meat. You can't taste the pâté as such but it gives an added richness to the sauce. Told to me by an Italian friend.

That also sounds good - I will try it next time! When it comes to food, I always trust Italians...

[andsome]

Interesting variant on this is to add a small amount of finely chopped liver or about, I suppose for this amount 100g, fine liver pâté dispersed with the meat. You can't taste the pâté as such but it gives an added richness to the sauce. Told to me by an Italian friend.

That also sounds good - I will try it next time! When it comes to food, I always trust Italians...

Even Mussolini? :lol: