← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 600 g beef chuck, in 2–3 large pieces
• 400 g pork ribs, cut into single ribs
• 4 Italian pork sausages
• 2 Onion, finely chopped
• 200 ml dry red wine
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 1.4 l Passata
• 1 handful basil leaves
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp Salt
• 500 g ziti, paccheri or rigatoni, to serve
• grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Warm the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the beef, ribs and sausages in batches until coloured all over, about 15 min in all, then set them aside.
2. Lower the heat, add the onions and cook gently for 10 min until soft and golden.
3. Return the meat, pour in the wine and let it bubble for 3 min. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute.
4. Add the passata, half the basil, the salt and 250 ml water. Bring to a bare simmer, partly cover and cook on the lowest heat for 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes so nothing catches. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
5. The ragù is done when the sauce is dark red, glossy and the meat is falling apart. Stir in the remaining basil.
6. Cook the pasta until al dente, toss it with plenty of the sauce and serve as a first course, with the meats after it as a second course (or all together).

Tips

• Neapolitans say the sauce should only "pippiare", or barely blip; a heat diffuser helps on strong hobs.
• Use gluten-free sausages and pasta and the whole meal is gluten-free; skip the Parmesan for dairy-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

GialloZafferano Great Italian Chefs Pasta Grammar