Italian Essentials 3 Meat Drunken Pasta Sauce Recipes

THREE-MEAT SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, mushrooms, pepperoni, cheese, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic salt, parsley and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes., Serve with spaghetti and sprinkle with additional cheese., Freeze Option: Cool sauce. Freeze in serving-sized portions in freezer containers for up to 3 months. To use frozen sauce, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a saucepan; heat through, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

DRUNKEN SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off. Add the red wine, turn on the heat and bring it to a boil. Season with a dash of salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the water, and add the pasta to the skillet with the simmering wine. Stir everything together with tongs and cook for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saute pan. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and fry until cooked on both sides. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and toss.
• Add the final tablespoon of butter to the pasta and stir through. You can add some of the reserved pasta water if you need loosen the sauce. Add the sauteed mushrooms and stir through. Garnish with the grated Parmesan and torn basil leaves.

ITALIAN PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook beef in 2 batches over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion, celery and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender. , Return the beef and sausage to the pan. Add the next 9 ingredients, including allspice if desired, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until sauce reaches desired thickness, stirring occasionally, 2-3 hours. Serve over pasta.Freeze option: Freeze cooled sauce in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add a little broth or water if necessary.

RED WINE SPAGHETTI WITH PANCETTA

Steps:

• Put a large pot of well-salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup wine and turn heat to low.
• Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium. Add pancetta to pan and let sizzle for 2 or 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Raise heat slightly and add onion. Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add garlic, red-pepper flakes and tomato paste, and stir to distribute. Add bay leaf and all the remaining red wine and turn flame to high. Let wine reduce rapidly by half, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Bring pasta water back to a boil, add pasta and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions advise - that is, keep the pasta quite firm and underdone. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta. Add pasta to the red wine mixture in the skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Let pasta wilt into the sauce and continue cooking, stirring, as pasta absorbs the sauce. The spaghetti should be correctly al dente within a few minutes and the sauce should coat the pasta. Add a little pasta cooking water if sauce gets too thick.
• Stir in the reserved pancetta, the butter and half the grated cheese and toss well. Taste a noodle, and add a sprinkling of salt to the pan if necessary. Toss once more and transfer to a warm serving dish. Garnish with basil leaves and pass remaining cheese at the table.

ITALIAN ESSENTIALS: 3-MEAT, DRUNKEN PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. To make this recipe you will need a good heavy-bottom pot, with a lid, plus a skillet for cooking the sausages. Of course, if you want to, you could always cook the sausages in the pot first, reserve them, and then continue on with the rest of the recipe. Up to you.
• 3. This entire recipe will be cooked at nothing higher than a slow simmer. The whole idea is to develop flavor by going low and slow... Remember, low and slow is the way to go.
• 4. The bacon I am using is what is defined as "thick slab" bacon and is almost 1/4 inch (0.6cm) thick. FYI: Bacon is not the "traditional" meat for this dish; it is prosciutto. If you have it, use it; however, bacon is a good substitute, and it is way cheaper.
• 5. A lot of you probably freaked out when you saw, anchovies. It is an optional item; however, it adds a bit umami to the dish. The word "umami" is Japanese and means "a pleasant savory taste."
• 6. My Aunt Josephine used to slice up the garlic using a razor blade, and when I was old enough to be trusted, the task fell to me. If you have ever watched the movie: Goodfellas, there is a scene where they are in prison making pasta sauce, and one of the guys Is using a razor blade to thinly slice the garlic.
• 7. The small amount of sugar in this recipe is to counteract the slight bitter taste that can sometimes occur from using canned tomatoes. If you are using brands like: Cento, Carmelina San Marzano, Muir Glen or Sclafani, you might not need any sugar at all. Typically, the cheaper the brand, the more sugar is needed. What I usually do is empty the tomatoes into a non-reactive bowl (glass, stainless steel), add a bit of sugar, and taste. Still taste bitter... Add a bit more sugar. If you work slowly, and do not use a lot of sugar, they will not taste sweet; they just will not have that bitter taste. FYI: Some off brands of canned tomatoes cannot be saved, so choose your tomatoes wisely.
• 8. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 9. Slice and Dice Cube the "thick slab" bacon, and the ham. I usually make the ham cubes a bit smaller. And while you are at it get all your veggies ready. Work, Work, Work.
• 10. Add the sausages to a pan, and slowly cook, then cut into bite-size pieces, and reserve.
• 11. Add the bacon to a pot and set the heat to medium low.
• 12. Stir until the bacon begins to render its fat, and starts to crisp, about 15 minutes.
• 13. Add the ham and stir with the bacon for about 1 minute.
• 14. Throw in the veggies.
• 15. Stir until they begin to soften, about 5 - 7 minutes.
• 16. If the bacon did not render much fat, and the veggies look a bit dry, simply add a tablespoon of olive oil... Extra Virgin, of course.
• 17. Add the tomato paste, and anchovy paste (if using), and stir for about 1 minute.
• 18. Chuck in all the dry spices.
• 19. Stir for about 1 minute.
• 20. Deglaze with the beer, then drink whatever is left... YES!!!
• 21. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any fonds on the bottom of the pot, and let the sauce slowly simmer, for 2 - 3 minutes.
• 22. Add the diced tomatoes (along with the sugar), cover, and allow to slowly simmer for 12 - 15 minutes.
• 23. Every few minutes, open and give it a stir. Remember you want a slow, slow simmer.
• 24. As it simmers, add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
• 25. Add the Italian sausage and parmesan cheese, then stir uncovered for an additional 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice at the very end and stir to combine.
• 26. This recipe will last in the fridge for 4 - 6 days, or several months in the freezer.
• 27. PLATE/PRESENT
• 28. Serve over pasta, or just put it in a bowl with some nice crusty Italian bread on the side. Enjoy.
• 29. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

THREE-MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown beef, pork and sausage in oil; drain. Add onions; cook until tender. Add the tomato sauce and paste, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil., Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until beef and pork are tender. Serve with spaghetti., Freeze Option: Cool remaining sauce; place in freezer containers. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place in a saucepan and reheat, stirring occasionally. Serve with spaghetti.

DRUNKEN PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil to the pan and heat until the verge of smoking. Then add the onions and reduce the heat to medium, cooking until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Once the onions are cooked, add half the prosciutto and garlic, stirring into the onions. Then add the vodka to delgaze the pan and allow the alcohol to cook off.
• Next, add the tomato sauce, cream and chicken stock, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes to reduce the liquid by half to yield 1 cup. Next, add the pasta, stirring into the cream sauce and warming the pasta. Finish with the butter, stirring again, and then remove from the heat and portion into bowls. Finish with the cheese, parsley and remaining prosciutto.