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Without further ado, I present you the recipe for:

Tony's Ragù

I don't make it this way because I find it too heavy, too oily. But some, including my late father, who was as fanatical to the extreme about food as he was about soccer, would say that this is by far the best Sunday Gravy -"and on this issue there can be no debate!"

Ingredients

Lamb any or all of the following:

lamb pancetta (belly)
lamb chops
lamb shoulder

Veal

from the shank of shoulder
ribs

Meatballs

ground pork/veal mix
1 egg
breadcrumbs and grated Pecorino cheese to taste


Italian Pork Sausage

preferably homemade

Making the Gravy

Cover the base of a dutch oven a half-inch deep with olive oil. His favorite was Filippo Berio. Heat the oil with a whole yellow cooking onion, halved. When the onion has begun to brown around the edges, remove it from the oil. Sprinkle it with salt and snack on it with a glass of homemade wine. Brown all the meat in this oil. The bigger the mess you make with the oil splattering, the better.*

Once the meat has browned, pour in the homemade jars of tomatoes enough to cover the meat and then some, and a can of tomato paste. Salt and pepper to taste. A sprinkle of sugar and a splash of red wine. Cover with a lid and simmer for the duration of the soccer game.
(He was a rabid Juventus fan.) Try to remember to stir it occasionally.

Maccheroni:

Bring a stockpot 2/3 full of salted water to boil. Cook 1 lb of Penne Lisce. My father used to swear they were the best for this gravy because they slid between the lips. I'm sure all the oil helped too! When the pasta is cooked, one minute longer than al dente, strain in a colander.

Plating the serving dish:

On a serving dish warmed in the oven, place half a stick of butter. Pour in the pasta. Swirl it around until the butter has melted. Add the gravy one ladle at a time, mixing it the pasta to thoroughly coat it. Not more than that. It's called past'asciutta, meaning dry, not swimming in a broth.

On a separate plate place the meat.

The maccheroni was always served as a first course and the meat with a green tossed salad as a second course. Bread was served with the meat, but not with the pasta. Cheese was placed on the table, allowing each one to use as much or as little as they preferred.

My father, best remembered for his stunning good looks, always showered, shaved, styled his hair, and dressed every night for dinner. Always.



*Doesn't matter, 'cuz the women will clean it up.


Here's one of my recipes for a sugo (tomato sauce) that treads ever-so-lightly on the arteries.


« Okay, that's it.