Christmas Pasta
This festive Italian pasta dish features a robust meat sauce. It combines pancetta, hot Italian sausage, and a trio of ground meats, which are browned before being simmered with vegetables, red wine, beef stock, and crushed tomatoes. The sauce is seasoned with allspice or cinnamon and fresh parsley. It is tossed with penne rigate and traditionally finished with a generous topping of grated Romano cheese. The entire process takes about 35 minutes to prepare and serves four generously.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 lb pancetta, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork)
- 1/2 lb hot Italian sausage
- 1/3 lb ground beef
- 1/3 lb ground pork
- 1/3 lb ground veal
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- chopped fresh parsley leaves
- salt and pepper
- 2 lbs penne rigate, cooked al dente
Method
- Place a deep pot over a heat source to warm.
- Pour in the oil, then add the garlic, bay leaf, and pancetta pieces, allowing them to colour for 1 minute.
- Introduce the various meats to the pot and cook until browned.
- Prepare the carrot, celery, and onion nearby and incorporate them into the pot as they are chopped.
- Allow the vegetables and meat to cook together for 5 minutes before pouring in the wine.
- Let the wine cook for 1 minute, then add the stock and the canned tomatoes.
- Mix through the parsley and your chosen spice, then season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the sauce up to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine the cooked pasta with several spoonfuls of the sauce to coat it thoroughly, then serve with more sauce on top.
- Finish each serving with a plentiful amount of grated Romano cheese.
Nutrition (per serving)
Sodium990900 mg
Recipe details
CategoryMeat
Cuisineitalian
AuthorSmilyn
