Ragu Sauce
Instructions:
- This sauce can be used to make a lasagne or fill cannelloni.
- Olive oil for frying
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 rashers streaky bacon or pancetta, sliced into 1cm strips
- 350g minced pork
- 350g minced beef
- 4 tablespoons tomato purée
- 400g canned plum tomatoes
- 200ml red wine
- A little grated nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 15g fresh basil leaves
- In a large lidded pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until soft.
- Add the garlic and bacon and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the pork and beef and cook until it the meat is brown and crumbly.
- Add the tomato purée, tomatoes and red wine and stir in the nutmeg. Add any seasoning to taste.
- Cover and cook for 11â„2 hours on a low simmer. Stir occasionally.
- Add the basil and cook for 20 minutes more.
- Cook fresh or dried pasta of your choice (allow 125–150g per person of fresh, or 100–120g per person of dried) either according to the packet directions, or following the cooking instructions on page 74 if using homemade. Serve the sauce with the pasta.
- Variations
- Add 100g sliced mushrooms about an hour into the cooking time.
- Instead of basil, stir in some fresh thyme; a couple of sprigs will do.