Recipe: Sugo di Carne

Sugo di Carne

(Meat Sauce)

This is the classic sauce for tajarin (tagliatelle). Traditionally, sugo di carne is a mix of ground veal and ground pork, but there's no reason why it can't be all one or the other. Some Piedmontese cooks use rabbit instead, which is great favorite. Ground turkey works reasonably well, but its flavor is muted. Ground lamb, however, although utterly untraditional, is swell.

makes 4 to 6 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound ground veal
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Leaves from 1 large sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Add the olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and cook briefly, stirring. Add the pork and veal. Break up the chunks into the smallest possible pieces and cook, stirring until browned. Stir in the carrot, garlic, rosemary, and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 1 hour, partially covered. The sauce should be dense, with a little wateriness.

To serve, spoon the sauce into the center of each serving of just-cooked tajarin. Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the sauce and serve Parmigiano alongside.

From:
A Passion for Piedmont
by Matt Kramer
William Morrow & Co., $28.00/hardcover
336 pages, 1997
Recipes and photos reprinted by permission.