If you have read the story about Tuscany in the Travel section, you will recall the pici pasta and meat sauce that I raved over – so different from anything else I had tasted before.
This is NOT your Bolognese meat sauce, served in every Italian restaurant in Montreal. The starting point is the soffritto, a blend of finely chopped onions, carrots and celery sautéed in olive oil. In fact, this constitutes the base for a range of Italian dishes. Other parts of Italy add other ingredients – garlic, parsley, rosemary, bay…
The French have this too, called Mirepoix.
So, as they say, without further ado…
For the Soffritto
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
½ cup finely diced carrot
½ cup finely diced celery
For the Ragù
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4 thin slices prosciutto, coarsely chopped
2 oz ground pork
2 oz ground veal
4 oz ground beef
12 oz tomato puree
½ cup dry red wine
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt & Pepper to taste
¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest
Optional:
A drop or two of Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp soy sauce
A drop or two of fish sauce
Rehydrate the dried mushrooms in a small bowl with enough warm water to cover, about 15 minutes. Drain, retaining the liquid. Chop the mushrooms finely.
Make the soffritto
Sauté the onion, carrot & celery in olive oil over medium heat until onions are caramelized, about 15-20 minutes
Make the Ragù
· Add the tomato paste to the soffritto, and cook for 2-3 minutes
· Add the prosciutto, pork, veal and beef, and brown the meat, stirring often
· Add the wine and stir to loosen any bits on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes
· Add the chopped porcini and tomato puree, and stir well
· Season with the ground nutmeg, salt & pepper and the other optional ingredients, if desired
· Adjust heat to barely simmer, cover and cook for a minimum of one hour, preferably three.
Check and stir occasionally, and if deemed a bit dry, add some of the water from the mushrooms.
· Then remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest. Yes, a bit unusual but the slight acidity balances the richness of the sauce and marries the other flavors.
· Serve with pici or tagliatelle pasta, and if desired, shavings of Parmesan.
Enjoy
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