Ragu Tucci

  • 16 oz. of stew meat cut into medium size pieces

  • 16 oz. of sweet Italian sausage (optional)cut into pieces

  • 16 oz. of country style boneless pork ribs cut into medium pieces

  • ¼ C. olive oil

  • 1 C. of roughly chopped onions

  • 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped

  • ½ C. dry red wine

  • 6oz. can of tomato paste

  • 1 ½ C. warm water plus more if needed

  • 2-28 oz. plus 1- 15 oz. can of whole plum tomatoes pureed in the blender

  • 3- fresh basil leaves

  • 1tsp. dried oregano leaves 

  • 2 lbs. Tagliatelle or fettuccine

Warm the olive oil in a stew pot set over medium-high heat.  Sear the stewing beef until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the pot and set aside in a bowl.  Add the pork pieces and brown on all sides and then add to the bowl.  Add the sausage to the pot and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Remove the sausage and set aside in the bowl with the stew beef and pork.    

Stir the onions and garlic into the pot.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions begin to soften and lose their shape, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot clean.  Add the tomato paste.  Pour ½ cup of the warm water into the can to loosen any residual paste and then pour the water into the pot.  Cook to warm the paste through, about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes along with the remaining 1 cup warm water.  Stir in the basil and oregano.  Cover with the lid slightly askew and simmer to sweeten the tomatoes, about 30 minutes.  

Return the meat to the pot along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl.  Cover with the lid slightly askew and simmer, stirring frequently, until the meat is very tender, and the tomatoes are cooked, about 2 hours.  Warm water may be added to the sauce, in ½- cup portions, if the sauce becomes too thick.  

If you have made meatballs, they may be added during the last half hour of cooking.   

Serves 8


Author: Stanley Tucci

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