Cooking With Raphael - Spaghetti Sauce
“THE ITALIAN SAUCE” THAT ALL GREAT CHEFS WANT
This sauce has been lost for hundreds of years. By a strange twist of fate, I was dreaming wanting to create the most delicious, delectable, mouth-watering sauce the world has ever tasted!!!!!!
It came to me in a flash of bright light; the light was as brilliant as the sun!!!! An ancient voice spoke and said, “Hey, cu gino, put down the pasta and listen to an old man, who will give you the enlightenment of the ages.” As soon as I put down my meal of rigatoni with garlic, onion and Extra Virgin oil, that old goat grabs it and ran away with it. He did not come back for twenty minutes. For a crippled old man, he moved fast.
He proceeded to give me the most fantastic Pasta sauce recipe I ever tasted. Even though he told me, “never give this knowledge to anyone”, I cannot keep it to myself. So even though I fear for my life, I must give this blessing to humankind.
3 lbs. Chuck Roast, cut into 2-inch pieces. Remove excess fat.
2 lbs. beef short ribs cut into 2-inch pieces
2 packages of good Hot Italian sausages (8 links)
1 lb of fettuccine or more if you desire
1 small red onions, diced
8 cloves garlic peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, remove seeds and inside veins. Chopped.
¼ cup fresh Italian Parsley finely chopped (Save some to dress pasta)
1 tbs. fresh rosemary finely chopped
2 Fresh bay leaves. Remove leaves when you consume the sauce
3 Sprigs of thyme. Strip leaves and finely chop.
1 Tbs. dry basil.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
2 cans (32 oz.) plum tomatoes (San Marsono brand) Put in a large bowl, crush with hand. (Purchase 3 cans; you may need an extra can.)
2 cans of (32 oz.) tomato sauce
2 small cans of tomato paste.
OPTIONAL: ½ CUP GOOD RED WINE
COOKING PREPARATION
Using a large Stainless steel, copper bottom pot; pour out 4 oz. EVOO, brown chuck roast and short ribs on medium heat
all sides 5-6 minutes over medium/high heat. Set aside seared meat. In the mean-time, puncture sausage
links, bake in the oven on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil at 350 degrees, until much of the fat has rendered out of links. Approximately 15-20 minutes. Do not over-cook; sausage will finish cooking in the sauce. Allow links to cool and cut each link into three pieces.
After chuck roast and short ribs have been browned, use the same pot to lightly cook, red onion, garlic, bell pepper, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and dry basil.
When herbs are cooked add 2-32 oz plum tomatoes, 1-32 oz sauce, 1 small can of tomato paste, mix thoroughly. Add bay leaves to pasta sauce, stir constantly for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes reintroduce sausage links, short ribs to red sauce. (THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO ADD THE WINE IF YOU DESIRE TO DO SO) Reduce heat to medium, partially cover the pot, add salt and pepper, gently stir so that sauce does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for 30 minutes so short ribs will soften, then add the chuck roast and cook for one hour or 90 minutes. During all this time check for correct seasoning, you may need to add Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. The sauce will slowly thicken and flavors will marry together.
HINT: When waiting for the sauce to cook, have near the cooking pot salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and dry Oregano. You may need some last-minute seasoning.
Cook the Fettuccine (OR the pasta of your choice) as per package directions.