Neopolitan Style Ragu Recipes

NEAPOLITAN-STYLE RAGU RECIPE

Steps:

• Season the pork all over with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
• In a food processor, chop together parsley, onions, garlic, pancetta and prosciutto to make a very coarse paste.
• Heat the olive oil in a casserole over medium-low heat. Add the seasoning paste and another teaspoon of salt and cook until the paste is fragrant and no more liquid appears when it is stirred, about 7 minutes.
• Add the pork roast, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, turning every 15 minutes, until the meat is lightly browned and the onions have begun to color, about 1 hour.
• Add the red wine, loosely cover and continue cooking until the wine reduces to a thick sauce, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If, after 1 hour and 15 minutes, the wine has not reduced sufficiently, remove the roast to a plate, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the sauce until it thickens.
• Over low heat, stir in the tomato paste, 2 or 3 tablespoons at a time, stirring in each addition until it mixes into the sauce and darkens to a brick color. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, return the roast to the pan if previously removed, and cover and continue to cook, turning the meat every 30 minutes and stirring the sauce until the meat is tender enough to be easily pierced with a meat fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If the sauce dries out too much and the meat begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, stir in a tablespoon or two of water.
• Remove the roast to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve. Crumble the Italian sausage into the sauce and cook until the sauce is extremely dark, unctuous, shiny and thick, stirring occasionally, about another hour. (The dish can be prepared to this point and refrigerated overnight.)
• Cook the pasta in plenty of rapidly boiling, heavily salted water. Warm the sauce if it has been refrigerated.
• When the pasta is cooked but still slightly chewy, drain it and toss it in a bowl with the butter. Spoon over half of the sauce and toss just to coat lightly. Transfer to a serving bowl and spoon more sauce over top. Sprinkle over the Parmigiano-Reggiano and pass more on the side.

RAGù NAPOLETANO - NEAPOLITAN-STYLE ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE WITH PACCHERI PASTA RECIPE

Steps:

• Finely chop 4 cloves of garlic and mix with the parsley.
• Spread the beef slices on a clean working surface and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on each slice.
• Spread the garlic and parsley mixture evenly on each slice and top with a slice of pancetta.
• Carefully roll each slice from the bottom to the top and secure with toothpicks.
• In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the braciole and sear until each side is lightly brown.
• Add the wine and cook for a few minutes.
• Remove the braciole to a plate. Add the onions, the carrot, and the rest of the garlic to the pan and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Return the braciole to the pan, cover, turn to a very low heat, and slow-cook for about 2 hours, stirring frequently.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain well, and transfer to a serving bowl. Spoon some sauce carefully over the pasta to coat.
• Serve immediately, adding a sprinkle of pecorino and some chopped parsley.
• Serve the braciole on a separate platter as a second course.

RAGU NAPOLETANO (NEAPOLITAN MEAT SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a large pasta pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil until smoking.
• Season the veal and beef with salt and pepper to taste and sear 5 or 6 pieces at a time over medium heat, until dark golden brown.
• Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining meat chunks (if using ground chuck, be sure to drain any excess grease from pan).
• Add the onion to the pan and sauté, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits.
• Cook until the onions are golden brown and very soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine, browned meat chunks, tomatoes, sausages, and pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 2 ½-3 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming off the fat as necessary.
• Remove from the heat and remove meat and sausages from sauce.
• Cover well and save for another meal.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and allow to cool.

NEAPOLITAN STYLE RAGU

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large 6qt heavy bottomed sauté pan (make sure you have a tight fitting lid for later or worst case scenario, be prepared to later cover your pan tightly with foil) over medium-high heat.
• Pat the meat dry with paper towels to remove any moisture. Season the meat with salt and ground pepper and brown both sides in your heated pan. When the meat hits the pan it should sizzle. If it does not sizzle, it means your pan is not hot enough. Alternatively, if your pan is too hot, the olive oil will start smoking and, then well, you can start a nice little kitchen fire. Just keep the pan on medium/high heat, throw in one cube of beef as a test and if it makes a friendly but not aggressive sizzle, add the rest of your beef. The beef should fit in one layer with plenty of space in your pan. Based on the size of your pan, you may need to brown the meat in two sets. If your meat is over crowded it will steam and not brown which is no good for this sauce. (If you want to know why from a more authoritative scientific source than me, go look up Harold McGee + Maillard Reaction.).
• Once you have browned all of your beef, remove and place in shallow bowl so as to collect accumulated juices. Turn the heat slightly down to medium and add diced pork to the pan, allowing it to render fat but not brown (about three minutes).
• Add diced onion to pork, coat in fat and cook until translucent, but not brown, (about three to five minutes depending on how finely you have diced your onion). Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent browning.
• Once the onion is translucent and NOT one moment before, add the garlic. If you add the garlic too soon it will quickly burn and ruin your entire sauce. If there is one way to ruin a meal and simultaneously piss off the entire country of Italy, it is too serve sauce with burnt garlic. Stir the garlic in the pork/onion mixture for about 60 seconds. If the garlic is starting to turn golden, add the wine, like, NOW!
• Now that you have a mixture of fat, onion and garlic in your skillet, you have what is called a soffritto in Italian. Slowly add the wine to your soffritto. Deglaze the pan by stirring with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits that are probably sticking to it by now. The wine should reduce by one half.
• When your wine is finished reducing, return the beef and its accumulated juices to the pan and add the whole tomatoes and their juices.
• Add the oregano, bay leaf (and if you have it, the outer rind of parmesan cheese), stir the beef to coat with sauce mixture and bring to a boil.
• Once you have brought your ragù to a boil, lower the heat to a faint simmer, cover and cook for three hours. Ever so occasionally stir the sauce with a wooden spoon and break down the whole tomatoes as you stir. If you find that your ragù is drying out a bit you can add ½ cup of cold water and stir to incorporate. (NOTE: if you want to make this sauce in a slow cooker you can prepare through this step and then put in the slow cooker according to manufacturer instructions: generally on low setting for six hours and high setting for three hours. Don't worry about stirring throughout braising process with this method but make sure to break up the tomatoes when the sauce is done slow cooking).
• When your ragù has simmered for about three hours, it's time to bring your pasta water to a rolling boil. Add salt to the boiling pasta water. For most Italians, the rule of thumb is 1 liter of water for every 100 grams of pasta, and add to that 10 grams of salt (known as the 1000/ 100/ 10 ratio of water/pasta/salt). If you want to actually measure out your water, salt and pasta go for it. I just bring a lot of water to boil, add a generous amount of salt and test to see if the water tastes brackish.
• Once the salted pasta water is boiling viciously, add the penne, stir with fork so they don't stick together and cook to al dente (usually about ten minutes for penne, and you can always taste the pasta if you are unsure). Do not be tempted to add olive oil to your boiling water. It will create an oil slick that will prevent the ragù from adhering to the pasta. You only add olive oil to fresh pasta, which is more delicate and has a tendency to clump together without the aid of olive oil.
• When penne is cooked to al dente, drain it immediately and reserve about five tablespoons of pasta water.
• Uncover your ragù, remove the bay leaf/ parmesan rind. Now add the drained penne and the reserved pasta water immediately (do not allow the pasta to rest and thusly become flaccid in a colander).
• Raise the heat to medium high and stir with a wooden spoon to coat penne with sauce. If you are dexterous in the wrist, instead of stirring the pasta to coat you can flip it in the pan (this is the preferred Neapolitan method). Stir and cook for about one minute. This step of mixing the pasta and ragù is critical as it coats the pasta with the sauce and creates a unified dish.
• Plate your penne ragù (I prefer using a shallow bowl), add a few gratings of Parmesan to taste, basil garnish and serve warm with bread.

NEAPOLITAN MEATBALLS WITH RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 475 degrees F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and mist with cooking spray. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 2 T oil until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 t salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 t pepper flakes, cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pot from the heat, then transfer half of the onion mixture to a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, combine the panko and 1 1/4 C water; press the panko into the water and let stand until fully softened, about 5 minutes. Mash with your hands to a smooth paste, then add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Using a fork, mix until well combined and smooth. Stir in the grated cheese, beaten eggs, the remaining 2 T oil, 1 1/2 t salt and 2 t black pepper. Add the meat and mix with hands until completely homogenous.
• Using a 1/2-cup dry measuring cup, divide the mixture into 8 portions. Using your hands, shape each into a compact ball and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Refrigerate uncovered for 20 minutes. Re-shape the meatballs if they have flattened slightly, then bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet set on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
• While the meatballs cook, in a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes one can at a time with their juices until smooth, about 30 seconds, transferring the puree to the Dutch oven with the remaining onions. Add remaining 1/2 t pepper flakes, the basil and the chunk of cheese. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Using a large spoon, carefully transfer the meatballs to the sauce, then, using 2 spoons, turn each to coat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce to medium-low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for about 5 minutes to allow the meatballs to firm up slightly. Remove and discard the cheese chunk. Serve with additional grated cheese.

NEAPOLITAN RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Set a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a 3-count of olive oil and gently brown the meatballs. Meanwhile, with a mortar and pestle, grind the salt, black peppercorns and fennel seeds with some olive oil into a grainy paste. Rub the ribs and shoulder with the mixture.
• Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. In the same pot, brown the shoulder pieces and ribs, in batches. Alternately to save time, roast the ribs in a preheated 500 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes while you brown the shoulder pieces in the pot.
• Remove the shoulder pieces and ribs to the meatball plate and let rest.
• Add a little more olive oil to the pot and add the thyme, oregano, carrots, onion and celery. Stir it around and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Cook the vegetables until they are slightly softened and have some nice color. Add the wine, tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Nestle the pork shoulder pieces back into the middle of the pot then arrange the ribs around the sauce. Finish by placing the meatballs in the gaps (some of the pieces will be sticking out from the sauce but that's perfectly fine as it will roast and caramelize). Use a spoon to baste everything well, cover, then put the pot into the oven and roast until the pork is tender and the meat is just falling off the rib bones, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• For the topping: Combine the chopped raisins, toasted pine nuts and parsley in a small bowl.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the meatballs and ribs to a large platter. Remove the pork shoulder pieces from the pot and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into bite-size pieces and adding them to the platter. Puree the sauce in a food processor then add it back to the pot and set over medium heat. Reduce the sauce until it is rich and thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain and add to a medium bowl. Spoon a little sauce over the spaghetti and the remaining sauce over the platter of meat. Garnish the meat platter with the raisin mixture and serve.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft but not colored, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool.
• Add the bread to a medium bowl and pour in the milk. Let the bread soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and cheese and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add it to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands until just mixed together. Don't overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough. Divide the mixture into 8 equal pieces and shape them into 8 nice looking meatballs. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

NEOPOLITAN STYLE RAGU

Steps:

• 1. Season the pork with 1 t salt and pepper. 2. In a food processor, chop together parsley, onions, garlic, pancetta and prosciutto to make a very coarse paste. 3. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add seasoning paste and another t salt and cook until the paste is fragrant and no more liquid appears when it is stirred, about 7 minutes. 4. Add pork roast, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, turning every 15 min until meat is lightly browned and onions have begun to color, about 1 hour. 5. Add red wine, loosely cover and continue cooking until wine reduces to a thick sauce, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If, after 1 hour and 15 minutes, wine has not reduced sufficiently, remove the roast to a plate, increase heat to medium-high and cook sauce until it thickens. 6. Over low heat, stir in tomato paste, 2 or 3 T at a time, stirring in each addition until it mixes into the sauce and darkens to a brick color. Stir in crushed tomatoes, return roast to the pan if previously removed, and cover and continue to cook, turning meat every 30 minutes and stirring the sauce until meat is tender enough to be easily pierced with a meat fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If sauce dries out too much and meat begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, stir in a T or two of water. 7. Remove roast to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve. Crumble Italian sausage into sauce and cook until sauce is extremely dark, unctuous, shiny and thick, stirring occasionally, about another hour. (The dish can be prepared to this point and refrigerated overnight.) 8. Cook pasta in plenty of rapidly boiling, heavily salted water. 9. When the pasta is cooked but still slightly chewy, drain it and toss it in a bowl with the butter. Spoon over half of the sauce and toss just to coat lightly. Transfer to a serving bowl and spoon more sauce over the top. Sprinkle over the Parmigiano-Reggiano and pass more on the side.