Grandma's Classic Italian Ragu: Age-old, Tried & True

Buon Anno Nuovo! To Celebrate the New Year we will post a different pasta sauce recipe every month! We were inspired by our dear Italian friend (good ol' Dott. Gaggi), he loves pasta as every Italian does, he finds it his duty to tell our (non-Italian) guests how they could literally eat a different pasta & sauce every day of the year and then begins to ramble off pasta & sauce combinations - Amatriciana, Norcina, Ragu, Wild Boar, Porcini.....very "bubba shrimp" Forest Gump-esque! 365 sauce recipes is a bit ambitious - so let's start with 1 a month and what better way to start than the one & only - Ragu Recipe!

1st Sauce of the Month: Ragu

Everyone has gotta have one - here is our classic ragu (meat & tomato) sauce. Perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, tagliatelle .... the list goes on!

Ragu

1 small carrot, finely diced
1 med onion, finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic
quarter pound of sausage meat
half pound ground veal
1.5 pounds peeled, seeded, pureed fresh tomatoes or 1 large can of peeled tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a pot add a couple glugs of olive oil & sauté clove of garlic until brown then discard.

On medium heat sauté veggies slowly for about 10 minutes - so they are not brown but translucent.

Raise the heat slightly & add in meat - breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt & pepper.

Add tomatoes & half a glass of water.

Bring up to boil.

Lower to a very low simmer for 2.5 hours stirring occasionally.

Toss with your favorite pasta.

If sauce becomes too thick, add a little pasta water.