Orecchiette with Ragu (Orecchiette col Ragù)
Orecchiette, or little ears, is the pasta of Puglia. Here it is served with a fantastic Ragu. It is quick to prepare but then needs to be cooked gently for a few hours. Ask the macellaio [butcher] for “per il ragù di carni miste” [mixed meat for ragu].
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole pan and fry the onion and chopped meat. When the meat has browned, add the white wine. When most of the wine has evaporated, add the tomato sauce. Cook the sauce over a low heat for 2 to 3 hours.
When the sauce is finishing, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Pour the cooked sauce on top of the pasta, then top the entire dish with an abundant of grated pecorino.
(Serves 4)
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion – chopped
- 1 glass of white wine
- 500ml of tomato sauce (or a large tin of chopped tomatoes)
- 500g orecchiette
- 1kg meat – chopped (any mix of sausages, beef and pork)
