Rigatoni and Ragù

NOT THE JAR STUFF!

A ragù sauce is a staple of Italian cuisine and refers to any sauce to which meat is added. The sauce usually includes garlic, onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots and spices. The origin of ragù sauce can be traced back to Bologna, Italy. Often times a ragù sauce is prepared in a Bolognese style which simply means that the ragù is served over pasta.

Shopping List
Pasta - rigatoni (or rotini when that is what your 3 year old son takes off the shelf and insists is his favorite!)
1 large onion (chopped)
1/3 lb ground beef
1/3 lb sweet Italian sausage (hot sausage if you want a hotter sauce) – take sausage out of casing if you buy links
3-4 carrots (peeled, chopped)
1 green pepper (cored and chopped)
1 pkg mushrooms (this sauce is hearty enough if you want to skip the mushrooms)
½ cup (or so) red wine (I use what I am drinking!)
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 stalk celery (if you like, I don’t) (chopped)
½ cup frozen peas (if you like, I do)

Pantry Check
Extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
Oregano
Basil
Black pepper
Nutmeg in a grinder (mill)

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Heat 1tbsp oil in frying pay (I never add too much oil to meat)
Add sausage and beef. Add oregano, basil, and black pepper. Chop up and stir until brown.

I brown my meat in one pan while starting the onions et al in another, but you can brown your meat then remove it and continue the instructions below in the same pan.

Heat oil in a frying pan (enough to cover pan)
Add onion to oil
Add garlic on top of onion so it doesn’t burn
Sauté until onion is translucent
Add carrots, green onion and mushrooms, then sauté
Add red wine and allow veggies to soak it up!
Add crushed tomatoes and meat.
Sprinkle on oregano, basil, black pepper, and a couple turns of the nutmeg mill
Allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes (until veggies are soft)
Add peas and stir until peas are thawed.

Is that hearty or what?! Doesn’t your house smell great?!
Serve over pasta – add parmesan if you desire.

















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Recipe: Pasta and Bread Crumbs?

That is all I know to call this; the recipe title officially has a question mark in it!


Shopping List
Pasta (penne or spaghetti)
Bread crumbs (seasoned is a good choice for this recipe, but if you have plain bread crumbs you simply add your own seasoning!)
Tofu (firm) – okay, you can skip this ingredient, but why?
Any variety of vegetables, olives, or onion (see recipe below for variation suggestions)

Pantry Check
Extra virgin olive oil
Oregano
Basil
Black pepper
Garlic


Cook 1lb penne or spaghetti according to package instructions (do not drain pasta, leave it in the water)

Heat oil in a frying pan (enough to cover pan)


Mince garlic and infuse into the oil (or chop garlic really small and let cook in the oil – keep heat medium to low and do not burn the garlic!)

Sprinkle 1 cup bread crumbs (if your bread crumbs are not seasoned, season them now – I use oregano, basil, and black pepper).

Allow bread crumbs to soak up oil. Keep heat low and allow bread crumbs to toast; stir them occasionally.

When pasta is cooked (usually in about the time it takes you to do the bread crumbs) use a slotted spoon (or really any large spoon) to transfer pasta to frying pan. Do not worry about bringing water with the pasta; you want water in the frying pan!

Then add two (or more) spoonfuls of the pasta water to the frying pan and toss the bread crumbs around the pasta (stir, stir, stir until the pasta is coated). Bread crumbs should be nice and wet and sticking to the pasta – if not, then just add some more pasta water.

At this point anything goes – add whatever you like to the pasta.

Last night I added sliced green olives (Yes! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it), tofu (my son loves it; really), and green peas, then grated parmesan cheese over top.

Add any vegetables that your family likes (or that they will eat if it is with yummy pasta). Steam then toss in: broccoli, carrots, squash, peas, green beans, what else can you name?

Or sauté some onions and add those along with a vegetable. You can add fresh tomato; I add tofu to virtually everything. Also, a variety of olives would be really delicious in this recipe (green, black, and kalamata).


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