Short Rib Ragu

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Pasta, Sunday Dinner

February 22, 2012

3 comments

Mezze Rigatoni With Short Rib Ragu
A ragu is a slow cooked meat based sauce, and there as many variations as there are regions in Italy. I have posted a couple of versions of Ragu alla Bolognese in the past, but strangely enough I have never featured a Southern Italian ragu. This is especially perplexing, considering I am Sicilian, and grew up having this type of meal on Sundays.

Ragus from the south are usually made by cooking large pieces of beef and/or pork in sauce for hours until tender. Then the sauce is spooned over pasta for the primo or first course in a meal, and the meat is served separately as the main course.You can put beef and pork ribs, sausage and even meatballs in, but I decide to keep mine simple and just make a nice beef short rib ragu, with some diced pancetta thrown in to add a little pork flavor.

Finally, while I said the meat is usually served as a separate course, you can also opt to pull it off the bone, shred it up and mix it back in with the sauce, if you are just looking to make pasta with a hearty sauce. Enjoy!

Short Rib Ragu Recipe

Prep time: | Cook time: | Total time:

Serves 4-6

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
1 stalk celerey, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
4 ounces pancetta, diced
4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 35-ounce cans imported Italian peeled tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 leaves of basil, chopped
1 pound mezze rigatoni
freshly ground ricotta salata cheese for serving

  1. In a large deep sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery, cook stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the short ribs and pancetta and brown the ribs on all sides.
  3. Crush the tomatoes with your hands, and add to the pot. Then add the beef broth, season with salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 2-1/2 hours. Add the chopped basil in for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  4. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil, add the mezze rigatoni and cook until al dente. Toss the pasta with some of the sauce, sprinkle with grated ricotta salata cheese and serve as first course. Transfer the ribs from the sauce to a serving platter and serve as the second course.
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Roasted Rabbit with Sausage and Potatoes

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Rabbit, Recipes, Sunday Dinner

February 3, 2012

5 comments

Rabbit with Sausage and Potatoes
I thought about calling this rustic dish Coniglio alla Contadina, which would loosely be translated to Farmer’s Style Rabbit. Especially, because I used my own homemade sausage and home cured bacon, when I made it, as I imagine would be done on a farm in the Italian countryside.

Rabbit is a lot more common on the menu in Italy than it is in America, because many people here don’t want to eat the cute little “Easter Bunny”. However, attitudes here are changing, more people are appreciating it and it is appearing on more menus. Of course, if you don’t want to do rabbit or can’t find it, this recipe works very well with chicken also.

What are your feelings on rabbit? Do you eat it? Would you eat it? Please share in the comments.

Roasted Rabbit with Sausage and Potatoes

Prep time: | Cook time: | Total time:

Serves 4

1 pound yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
8 ounces pancetta, diced
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 3-4 pound rabbit cut into serving pieces
1 pound italian sausage
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F. In large bowl, toss together the potatoes, rosemary, thyme, garlic, pancetta and two tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer into a roasting pan, pour in the white wine and place in the oven. Cook the potatoes by themselves for 40 minutes.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, season the rabbit with salt & pepper, and heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the rabbit, brown on all sides and transfer to a plate. When done browning the rabbit, do the same with the sausage, then cut the sausage into one inch pieces.
  3. After the potatoes have been cooking for 40 minutes, add the browned rabbit and sausage to the pan and cook for 20 more minutes, until potatoes are tender. Transfer to warm serving plates and serve.
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Butternut Squash Risotto

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Recipes, Risotto

February 1, 2012

1 comment

Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall/winter ingredients. When the season comes, I especially look forward to having two dishes: Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Butter and Sage and this Butternut Squash Risotto. Over the years I have experimented with different timings and methods of incorporating the squash into the risotto, and I found I like this method of roasting the squash, and adding it at the very end the best. The squash breaks up just enough to give it the perfect color and consistency. If you have some really good aged balsamic vinegar a sweet and tangy drizzle over the top just before serving complements the creaminess of the risotto quite well.

Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe

Prep time: | Cook time: | Total time:

Serves 4

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus plus some for brushing on a sheet pan
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Place squash on a lightly oiled sheet pan, place in oven and roast, turning once, until golden and tender, about 30 minutes.
  2. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice is well coated and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add the wine to the rice, and cook, stirring for a minute or two. Then add a 4 to 6 ounce ladel of simmering stock and cook, stirring occasionally, making sure to wipe the sides and bottom of the pot clean as you stir, until all the liquid is absorbed.
  4. Continue adding the broth a ladle at a time, waiting until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding more.
  5. After about 20 minutes begin to taste the rice. It is ready when it is tender and creamy, but still a little firm to the bite.
  6. Remove from heat, and add the squash with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese, stir until well combined. Transfer to serving plates and serve.
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