‘O rraù, Neapolitan ragù

Ragù is the most fragrant sauce in the world. In the southern region of Campania, every ‘authentic’ family celebrates Sunday with their own recipe for it that has been handed down generation to generation. The following is my personal one that I learned from my mother when I was a child, enraptured by the aroma that for days permeated our home.

The general rule for this sauce is to prepare it the day before to allow it cool and let the flavors amalgamate and the color to darken. Stirring it while cooking must be done with love, almost like a caress and rigorously done using a wooden spoon.

Ingredients for some 6 people: 

1.2kg beef, 4 meat roulades stuffed with garlic and chopped parsley, pine nuts, raisins and salt; 4 medium-sized pork spareribs, 400g golden Alfie onions, 1 glass extra-virgin olive oil, 1 glass red wine, 200g tomato paste, 40g lard, 1 glass water, 3l tomato sauce, coarse salt, 55g ziti broke by hand into 5cm pieces.

Directions :

Put the oil into a high and broad pan, preferably terracotta, together with the onions that have been sliced finely and the lard and stir simmer until the onion are cooked. When the onions begin to brown raise the heat and add the roulades and the chopped meat. Turn the meat until it is uniformly browned and seared and then reduce the heat and slowly add the wine allowing it to evaporate. After a couple of minutes add the tomato sauce, the glass of water and a handful of salt. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer or ‘bubble’ for around nine hours.

At the end the sauce should be dark, shiny and dense with the meat partially dissolved to make it even more flavorful.

Boil the ziti in salted water until it is ‘al dente’, drain and dress with the rich rraù.

WIne to pair: 

N'Antia Toscana Rosso Igt Badia di Morrona 

 

A Bordeaux blend, characterized by a Tuscan terroir. Intense dark ruby. Light herbaceous notes, eucalyptus then cedar, currant and a hint of face powder. Ample and mouth filling palate with

firm and well integrated tannins, long finish with notes of fine herbs.

Production area: Terricciola, in Pisa province.

Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Cabernet Franc 30% and Merlot 20%.

Winemaking system: selected grapes from the best vineyards, 15 months ageing in barrique, 10 months in bottle.

Alcoholic content: 14,5% vol.

Serving temperature: 18°C.

Food pairing: red meat, roasts and cheeses.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY BADIA DI MORRONA