Sunday Gravy for that Pasta of the Month

A little over one year ago, I vowed to come up with a bolognese sauce that would rival the one that Zeno made for us in Costa Rica.  Of all places, I had the best lasagna I had EVER tasted in the coastal town of Tamarindo.  As I savored each bite I tried to "pick it apart" and make a mental note of the ingredients.  I probably should have just asked for the recipe.  But, as some of you know, some of the best cooks do not rely on a recipe.  And if you are lucky enough to receive the recipe, chances are a key ingredient has been conveniently (of course, not intentional) left out!

So, a few months ago, I came up with another attempt for the best bolognese sauce.  Although it was tasty, I can still improve on this.  Maybe next time some tomato paste to thicken it up and perhaps some more meat, even  panchetta? 

For now, this will have to do.  This recipe made enough sauce for several meals, so you can package it into 2 cup servings, or so, and freeze until you need it.

Zeno's lasagna...my inspiration

Eggplant with bolognese sauce

Sunday Gravy

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb mild Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled

1-2 veal chops

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

15 oz. tomato puree

28 oz tomato sauce, plus 1 can of water

28 oz whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed

large handful of fresh chopped parsley

large handful of fresh chopped basil

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp oregano

In a large stock pot, brown the sausage in the olive oil.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Now, brown the veal chops and set aside.  Throw in the garlic through the oregano ingredients. Stir and cook for about 30 minutes.  Add the meat back in and at this point I added 3/4 cup of pork tenderloin chunks.   Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 5 hours or longer.  The meat should be falling off of the bone.  Remove the veal bones and shred any big pieces. 

Serve over your favorite pasta.  Enjoy!

The Best Bolognese Trial Begins

I always thought my lasagna was good until I had the best in, of all places, Costa Rica. It was served by a joyous man named Zeno. My lasagna is actually a "working woman" creation. I have timed myself while preparing it and can do it from start to finish in under an hour. That's not counting cooking time, of course!

Since I got back I've been haunted by the "perfect" lasagna. So, the best Bolognese trial began last week. The recipe which I will not include until it's perfected has many steps. Much chopping, sauteing and cooking time went into this project. Will it be worth it? Probably not! But, it's still the personal challenge I am willing to take on.

After cooking my sauce for most of one day and into the next, I constructed a baked version of penne pasta along with a bechamel sauce base. The Bolognese was mixed in with additional cheese and into the oven it went. My taste testers were summoned for their expert opinions. I have to say, appearance wise it looked great. My testers critiqued it. Some comments were, "It needs salt" "It could use more spice" and "It tastes pretty good to me". But, in my kitchen I am the deciding vote! I will not put more salt into it. Yes, it does need a little more spice in the way of Italian sausage and yes, it wasn't bad for my first try.

Now, some of you know that my mother-in-law is of Italian descent. I should just ask her how to make a good Bolognese sauce, right? Well, first of all she is not from that region and Italian cooking is very regional in their ways. And second? Well, I'll save that for the book. I have many wonderful stories to tell...