Ragu Sauce

When we Americans think of pasta, usually spaghetti with a red sauce comes to mind.  Maybe a fettuccine alfredo. And that's it.  Friends say that after having lived in Italy I've become a "pasta snob," but when I've tasted so many amazing sauces and combinations, how can I not be?!  Since coming back, I find American Italian pasta dishes to be bland sauce on top of mushy pasta.  In Italy, all sauces are made fresh and delicious... nothing is canned or pre-made.  

When I was living in Italy, my Italian teacher has a friend of hers who was a chef teach us some real Italian recipes.  I'm still looking for the gnocchi recipe in my email somewhere, but here's the ragu.  



There are some general rules about pasta in Italy, that'll help your dining or cooking experiences.  I'll explain in another post.

Ingredients
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. EVOO
- 1 lb of minced beef (you can use ground beef but a better quality cut that's been minced is best)
- 750ml passata di pomodoro (approx 24 oz of strained tomatoes, see note at bottom)
- fresh basil, chopped
- fresh oregano, chopped
- s&p
- cooked thick flat pasta (like fettuccine)

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan.  While it heats, mince the celery, carrots, garlic and onion. Add to pan and saute until soft.

2.  Add in the beef, a pinch of basil and oregano, and cook until the meat is slightly browned.

3.  Add in the tomatoes.  Stir until everything is well mixed.  Let simmer over low heat for a few minutes to get everything heated through.  

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over pasta.



Note 1: I learned this recipe in 2007, and don't recall it exactly.  This is what I do recall, and how I've been making it since.  And it's still delicious. 


Note 2: It might be hard to find strained tomatoes in the US.  You should be able to find them in an Italian market.  But if not, the closest thing I've found is crushed tomatoes.  Or, if you garden gives you a good tomato harvest, you can make your own.  Nothing is better than fresh ingredients!