The King of pasta dishes to many, including me – although I change my mind regularly! This dish requires a bit of prep, a lot of time and a bit of loving care, but you will be rewarded with a sauce that is rich, velvety and with such strong, deep flavour. I went all out on this one, using beef, pork and veal in the sauce, as well as pancetta, but it is all worth it when you get to taste the final product. Cook low and slow in the oven for best results, and leave to cool for those flavours to develop before reheating for dinner. Or even breakfast with the leftovers…
As always, use the best quality stock and tinned tomatoes that you can and good quality meat, ideally from the local butcher. I did not use any herbs at all to flavour it, the flavours of the meat should sing out all on their own, but by all means put a bit of rosemary or parsley in there if you simply must.
This recipe makes a huge potful, serving 6-8 people, but it is wonderful to freeze and reheat another time.
I dont like to advocate drinking on this website, but a full-bodied Italian red like a Sangiovese sets it off perfectly.
Enjoy!
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 large carrot
- 150g pancetta
- 6 cloves garlic
- 400g veal mince
- 500g pork mince
- 800g beef mince
- 400ml beef stock
- 300ml passata
- 200ml milk
- 3 tablespoons tomato puree
- 150ml red wine
- Olive oil, salt, pepper, parmesan
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 150º and put a large, oven-proof pan over a medium heat.
Finely slice the onion, carrot and celery. Add a good drizzle of olive oil to the pan and gently fry the vegetables for around 10 minutes, taking care not to burn them.
Next, add the pancetta. Turn up the heat a little to render off some of the fat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Now, add the beef mince. Break up all the lumps with a wooden spoon and fry for around 10 minutes. We are trying to brown the beef and get good flavour on it.
After 10 minutes or so, add the pork and veal mince, breaking up the lumps and stirring well. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
Now, add the red wine to the pan and mix well. Cook until reduced by two thirds, which should only take a few minutes.
Add the tomato puree and mix well into the meat. This should by now be a rich colour and be smelling really good!
Add the stock, tomatoes, milk and mix well. Cook on the hob for 10-15 minutes so that the flavours can mix together and any excess liquid can reduce a little.
Add a good pinch of salt and several hearty turns of black pepper.
Put a lid on the pan and cook for at least 3 hours on a low heat. Check every hour, adding a spot of milk or water if it seems dry.
Allow to stand for at least an hour to cool and develop flavour.
Serve with the pasta of your choice, pappardelle is the classic pairing but go with whatever is your favourite. Serve with more pepper and a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
Notes
When you cook the pasta, always reserve some pasta water, half a cupful or so, to add to the sauce while reheating. It gives a really glossy finish and adds to the flavour.
