Tomato and Meat Pasta Sauce

This simple, yet wonderful, sauce can be used with as much variety as your imagination can bring to the table.  We use it over pasta- any kind, but our favorites are Perciatelli, penne, and wide egg noodle. That said, we use it in omelets; it is great over whole wheat toast; and it is a perfect base for lasagna.

Here is the “2 lb recipe” that will easily make eight large servings.

List of ingredients, by order of entering pan:

• Olive oil- 3 tablespoons
• 2 medium onions- chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic- fine (we chop, or grate ala Rachel Ray)
• Now, the meat

o       1 lb ground chuck

o       ½ lb ground lamb

o       ½ lb ground pork

§         (we have found that this combination and ratio yields our favorite result; however, any combination of ground meats is possible- your pleasure; that said, stick with the ratio of fattier to leaner meats.)

• Salt; good pinches- 2 teaspoons; more to taste later
• Pepper, freshly ground (important)- same amount as salt
• 5 large bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 carrots, grated
• 3 squirts of ketchup (honestly. It balances the acidity and sweetness)
• 3 lbs tomato- have fun here, and play with whatever type(s) you want. We like what is on sale.

o       2 lbs in food processor, finely chopped

o       1 lb coarsely chopped by hand (you can also just tear them apart, by hand, and drop them in the pan)

• The dry herbs- about a tablespoon of each:

o       Thyme

o       Oregano

o       Basil

§         We have experimented with many combos; simple is best here. You do not want to bury the simple flavors under a mess of herbs. The fresh basil you will add at the end needs room to speak clearly.

• ½ cup water
• ¾ lb mushrooms: Cremini or white (or mixed), sliced (not quartered)
• ¾ cup dry red wine (drinkable- no two-buck chuck, sorry Dad)
• 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted is a little better- it is to cream and thicken)
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves- measured before chopping; then chop it up

These kind of simple sauces- those that have been passed down over generations, and have versions all over the world, are a product of personality, not perfection.  Play with the recipe. Sometimes, I greatly increase the garlic. You can completely change the overall meat to tomato ratio, making a very tomato based sauce, but keep the meat ratio consistent as far as meat to meat [one unit of beef to a half unit each of pork and lamb].

Use only one pan. Your grandma did not have seven All-Clad pans on the stove, and her sauce was probably better than yours (or mine).

Cooking Instructions:

In a large, heavy duty pan:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat
• Add the onions and sauté until soft- about 5 minutes
• Add the garlic and sauté an addition minute or so, until fragrant- do not burn the garlic
• Add the meats and salt; brown the meats as you break them up, to pea sized clumps- about 5 minutes
  • The breaking-up process is essential for the texture of the final dish- a little effort here goes a long way
• Add the pepper, bay leaves, tomato paste, carrots, ketchup, and water
• Cover, and simmer ten minutes
• Add the tomatoes and dry herbs
• Cover, mostly, and simmer over medium-low heat for about one hour, stirring regularly
  • You can not over-cook the sauce; you can burn it, but you can not overcook it.
• In the last 15 minutes, add the mushrooms, wine, and butter
• Final touch: add the fresh basil

*This can become your signature big-meal recipe. Play with every aspect of the dish- from consistency to ingredients, there are no limits.  It can be made days in advance. Will keep in the fridge for several days, and in the freezer for a bloody long time.