This recipe is excerpted from “Mangiasti?!” by Nadia Pizzimenti.
A Nonna’s ragu is, without being dramatic, the glue that holds an Italian family together.
It only appears on Sundays and is a labour of love shared by the whole family. Every Nonna has a different version, and every Nonna’s version is the best version — depending on who you ask.
Nonna Germano makes hers with three different kinds of meat: ribs, sweet and spicy Italian sausage, and her meatballs. It’s cooked low and slow and served with fusilli or penne. This is truly Nonna’s love in a dish.
Nonna’s Ragu
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Vegetable oil, for browning
5 to 6 sweet and/or spicy Italian sausages
1 full rack pork ribs
10 meatballs (see recipe below)
2 jars puréed tomatoes (680 millilitres each)
1 small can tomato paste
4 cups water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 box fusilli, penne, or other short pasta
Parmigiano cheese, for serving
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pot, heat a small amount of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear the sausages until browned on all sides, then remove from the pot and set aside. Repeat with the ribs, then with the meatballs, browning each and setting aside.
2. Add the onion to the pot and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the puréed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt, sugar (to balance the acidity), and chili flakes. Stir well.
3. Return the ribs to the pot first, followed by the sausages. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours. If using beef ribs, simmer for closer to 2 hours. About 20 minutes before the sauce is finished, add the meatballs to the pot. At this point, skim off any excess oil from the surface if needed.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to your liking.
5. Once the meatballs have cooked for 20 minutes, remove all the meat from the sauce with a slotted spoon and place on a separate platter. Drain the pasta and add it directly to the sauce pot with the heat turned off, tossing gently to coat. Serve the pasta alongside the platter of meat, with Parmigiano cheese at the ready
NONNA’S MEATBALLS
Makes approximately 20 meatballs. depending on size
Ingredients
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano cheese
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely minced parsley
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
450 grams ground pork
450 grams ground beef
1/4 cup milk, plus more as needed
2 eggs
Vegetable oil, for frying
1. Place all of the ingredients, except the eggs and milk, into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and milk last, starting with 1/4 cup of milk. Depending on the consistency, add a little more milk as needed — you don’t want the mixture to be too dense. Gently mix with your hands or a fork until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this will make the meatballs tough rather than tender.
2. Roll the mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs and place them on a large baking sheet or platter. At this point, you can freeze them for later use or fry them before adding them to tomato sauce.
3. To fry, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the meatballs until nicely browned and crisp on the outside before adding them to the ragu sauce. Nonna’s Tip: When you fry them, make sure you get them nice and crisp — otherwise they fall apart in the sauce.
