Ragù napoletano (neapolitan meat sauce) - Campania
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Categories: Children, Gluten-free *use gluten-free pasta, Dairy-free*eliminate the cheese
In Naples, this is the quintessential Sunday dish which is cooked over night on Saturday. The luxuriously rich, condensed sauce is served with pasta. The long braised, fork-tender meat is served as a main course, often alongsidebroccoli rabe cooked with garlic. At my house, we sometimes make extra meat and shred it the next day with barbecue sauce and stuff it in brioche buns for lunch. While not traditionally Italian, it is incredibly delicious.
In Naples, this is the quintessential Sunday dish which is cooked over night on Saturday. The luxuriously rich, condensed sauce is served with pasta. The long braised, fork-tender meat is served as a main course, often alongsidebroccoli rabe cooked with garlic. At my house, we sometimes make extra meat and shred it the next day with barbecue sauce and stuff it in brioche buns for lunch. While not traditionally Italian, it is incredibly delicious.
Author: Woo Wei-Duan
Recipe type: First Course (Primo), Second Course (Secondo)
Cuisine: Campania
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 smallonions, skin and ends removed and finely sliced
- 20 mlsextra-virgin olive oil
- 500 gramsporkshoulder, pork ribs or beefshoulder or a mixture of the three, cut into 6 pieces
- 75 grams pancetta, chopped
- 40 grams prosciutto, finely chopped
- 120 mls red wine
- 20 gramstomato paste
- 750 mls tomato passata
- 10 basil leaves
- 350 grams rigatoni, ziti or mezzani pasta
- 20 grams Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
- Sea salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Fry the onions in the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat until soft and golden, about 15 minutes.
- Add the meat, pancetta and prosciutto to the pan and continue to turn until golden all over.
- Add the red wine and let it almost entirely evaporate.
- Add the tomato paste and fry for 10 minutes or until it is dark in colour.
- Add the tomato passata, basil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and reduce to low heat. Cook for 6 to 7 hours until the meat is 89C. It should be tender and fall apart when torn with a fork. To reduce the cooking time, it can be cooked instead in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes. The meat can be served for the main course.
- Meanwhile in a large pot, bring to boil 6 litres of water with 60 grams of salt. Add the pasta and cook for the time indicated on the package. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated Pecorino or Parmgiano-Reggiano cheese.
