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Tuscan Ragù (Meat Sauce)



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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