Cooking-wise, I’m in what I consider the dregs of March, this itchy time before anything is growing in the ground where if I see another potato, chicken breast or soup I might toss it out the window in contempt. But pasta is always welcome, especially this one and even more especially for a luxurious rainy cold day that March predictably tosses in neatly folded between sunny-I think-it’s-summer-days .
Like any food story worth tucking into, this one does not disappoint as it comes with a pinch of simple comedic cooking relief. If you can imagine these scruffy, to the point instructions being told to you by a short, sweetly round, thick Italian accented lovely lady whose hair is gray and gently falls well below her mid-section but neatly tied in a bun, then the mood is set and you’re amply equipped to get this exactly how it all came down.
She says, as she shoves me out of her way, “You need to treat it like a stepchild: back off for a minute!” I was beating the meat like a stepchild, but obviously tending to it all wrong.
As you know, I’m all about quick and somehow smashing it against the hot side of the pan seemed proper.
She continues, “Sometimes you just need to back off, and that’s really cooking. Food is like a dog — it smells fear. When you’re cooking, if you’re nervous, guess what your food is going to be? You learn more from your mistakes than when things turn out perfectly.”
Phina-Maria–that’s what I called her. I couldn’t pronounce her name. All I caught was a faint Maria somewhere in the midst of her quick introduction. She made this recipe with all sorts of meats–lamb, beef and pork of some kind. It was a ragu of sorts. And to think I thought “Ragu” was a jarred spaghetti sauce. What she made was more along the lines of a French Ragout which contains the different kinds of meats and it’s stewed like this recipe. Either way, I took what I learned from Phina and made my own little quick version keeping in line with the essence of the sauce but eliminating the fuss–including her stout instructions of treating it like a step child and leaving it alone. Afterall, that definitely falls in line with my no-fuss quick recipes. It’s a delicious change from an ordinary spaghetti sauce but don’t take my word, try it yourself.
Ragu over Pasta
By Published: March 19, 2011
- Yield: 4 Servings
- Prep: 10 mins
My own little quick version keeping in line with the essence of the sauce but eliminating the fuss-but never forgetting the taste.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 T. olive oil
- 1 carrots chopped
- 1/2 lb. mushrooms sliced
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 T. sundried tomatoes (optional)
- 1 lb. pasta any pasta
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to the package. In a heavy sauce pan combine the olive oil, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute’ for 3 minutes. Now combine the meat. Brown and leave it alone. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 40 minutes covered. If you have the time simmer longer to allow the flavors to develop. You can even put this in a crock pot after you’ve browned it and come home to a wonderfully flavored sauce for your pasta.
