Christmas Pasta Sauce
Submitted by fangwomandebbie
A rich Italian meat sauce with Italian sausage, ground beef, pancetta, porcini mushrooms, and red wine simmered with tomatoes and a hint of nutmeg. Worthy of your Christmas Eve pasta course.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThis is the Sunday gravy that gets promoted to the holiday table.
Three meats do the heavy lifting: Italian sausage, ground beef, and diced pancetta all browned together with a classic soffritto of carrot, onion, and celery. Rehydrated porcini mushrooms add an earthy, woodsy depth that you can’t get from button mushrooms.
A splash of dry red wine deglazes the pan before tomato paste, chopped Roma tomatoes, and a surprising grate of fresh nutmeg bring everything together.
Simmer it for 30 minutes, stir in fresh parsley, and ladle it over your best pasta. Make it a day ahead and it only gets better.
Chef Tips
- Soak the porcini for at least 30 minutes in warm water. Squeeze them dry before chopping so they don’t water down the sauce.
- Drain the fat after browning the meats. Pancetta and sausage throw off more grease than you’d expect, and a greasy sauce coats the tongue instead of the pasta.
- Let the wine fully evaporate before adding tomatoes. Residual alcohol makes the sauce taste sharp.
- Make it a day ahead. This sauce improves overnight in the fridge as the flavors meld together.
Ingredients
Directions
Chop the vegetables.
Soak the porcini in warm water for at least ½ hour.
Remove from the water, squeeze dry and chop.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil over moderate heat.
Add the carrot, onion and celery and sauté until the onion is golden, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the sausage, ground beef and pancetta to the pan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring to break up the meat, until the beef and sausage are no longer pink.
Drain off any fat.
Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour in the red wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until it evaporates, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, porcini and ½ cup of warm water.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
If the sauce gets too thick, add a little more water.
Cover and refrigerate; reheat before serving.
Add the parsley just before serving.
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