Sicilian Ragu Recipes

SICILIAN BEEF RAGOUT

Steps:

• Place tomatoes in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss. Add leaves from 4 branches of the thyme, toss again, then spread the tomatoes in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down. Set aside.
• Heat remaining oil in an ovenproof casserole on medium high. Dry meat and sear in several batches to avoid crowding until lightly browned on all sides. Remove to a bowl. Lower heat to medium low. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Add fennel, leeks, shallot and garlic to casserole, stir, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the flour, cook for a moment or two, than add olives, chile flakes and wine. Stir, scraping pan, and bring to a simmer. Add stock. Return meat and its juices to the casserole. Top with branches of rosemary and remaining thyme. Cover and place in the oven. Place the pan of tomatoes in the oven. Cook both for 2 hours.
• Remove the pans from the oven. Check seasonings of meat. Transfer meat and sauce to a serving dish, arrange tomatoes on top and serve together.

SICILIAN RAGU

Steps:

• In a large skillet cook ground beef, ground pork, and onion until brown.
• In a large saucepan mix together the tomatoes, garlic, carrots, peas, water, bay leaves, olive oil, and salt. Add meat mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover partially, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for one hour, stirring occasionally.

SICILIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large skillet or sauce pan, sauté a finely diced onion, carrot, celery stalk and a pinch of salt until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in minced garlic cloves and red pepper flakes (optional) and cook for 1 minute. Stir in ground meat trio (beef, veal and pork) and cook, stirring and breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Deglaze with red wine and cook until it evaporates. Pour in 1 jar of tomato passata. Pour 2 cups of water or chicken stock in the bottle, swirl it around to gather up all the sauce and pour back into the pan.
• Add bay leaves, salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook partially covered about 1 hour.
• Stir in green peas and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.
• While the sauce is simmering prepare the bechamel sauce.
• Melt butter in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Do not allow it to brown.
• Whisk in flour until it forms a thick paste. Slowly whisk in milk and stir.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add a pinch of nutmeg and salt, to taste. Set aside
• Hard boil 3 eggs. Let cool, peel and chop coarsely. Set aside in a bowl.
• Cut mozzarella into cubes or grate it if you prefer.
• Grate Parmigiano cheese.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a rectangular lasagna pan: ladle enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Arrange sheets of lasagna over the sauce, breaking pieces if necessary to cover the entire surface.
• Cover the lasagna sheets with ragu with peas. I add approximately 2 ladlefuls to each layer.
• Drizzle bechamel sauce over the ragu with a spoon. Evenly sprinkle with cubed mozzarella, chopped hard-boiled eggs and a spoonful of grated Parmigiano cheese.
• Repeat with 3 more layers of pasta adding hard-boiled eggs to each layer except the top layer.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and broil for a minute or two until the mozzarella is golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot.