Hearty, meaty and deeply satisfying. This is the real deal, iconic and authentic Italian Classic. Creating the Bolognese sauce is a labor of love, but it can be made ahead of time and freezes well for a delicious dinner weeks or months later. Traditionalists note: this sauce is not a true ragù: Bolognese sauce uses white wine and smaller amounts of tomatoes, while ragù uses red wine and lots of tomatoes. The sweet, less-acidic taste of authentic D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes– certified and protected by the Italian government– add exactly the right taste to make this dish in its authentic, old world taste perfection.
Jumbo Brisket Meatballs are so tender and flavorful in an aromatic San Marzano Tomato Sauce. This sauce is a quick simmer with smoked chili flakes, orange peel strips and marjoram leaves. These jumbo meatballs are called polpette in Italy.
Recipe by Carlos Leo www.spoonabilities.com
The origins of this dish are legendarily traced back to shepherds who used the available sheep’s milk cheese with pasta water for the sauce. Today this cheese is linked to Rome via its name: Pecorino Romano. There are “Four Famous” Roman pasta dishes, all of them related to each other, and all of them using grated Pecorino Romano sheep’s milk cheese: Cacio e Pepe, Gricia, Carbonara and Amatriciana. At the risk of oversimplifying, Cacio e Pepe is the simplest, a meatless dish using cheese, pepper and the water from the pasta to form a rich emulsion sauce; Gricia adds the unctuous taste of cured pork cheek (guanciale); add an egg and you get a truly indulgent carbonara and, if you skip the egg and add tomatoes you get Amatriciana. A few simple ingredients of truly high quality create an astounding variety of tastes. While you’ll often see Romans having their Sugo all’Amatriciana with bucatini (a spaghetti-like pasta with a hollow middle), in Amatrice the dish is always traditionally prepared with spaghetti. Pancetta may be substituted, if needed for guanciale, but never bacon or smoked pork. Dry pasta, never fresh, is a must…. a nod to the origins of the dish– shepherds went to the pastures with cured pork to last, dry pasta, black pepper, and pecorino cheese.
The Piedmontese cuisine differs from the rest of Italy. Instead of Pizza and tomato-based sauces, it is much more inspired by meat, butter and truffles. Our Fettuccine Piedmont Style reflects this culinary tradition and lets you make the best of the ingredients left after a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. Simply blend the meat sauce (Turkey works well too) with butter and Flora’s Homestyle Egg Fettuccine in a large pan. Season the sauce with nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Before serving, add truffle oil to taste, depending on how much of Piedmont you would like in your dish. Enjoy!