Giusi's RAGÙ Serves 10 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound ground lean beef 1 pound ground pork 2 italian sausages, casings removed 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried 1 to 2 cups red wine 1 cup soffritto (recipe below) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 16 to 20 tomatoes or 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, juice included, chopped Pour the olive oil into a 4-quart heavy pot with a lid. Over medium-high heat, brown the meats, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, and 1 cup of the red wine. After the wine has cooked into the meat, about 10 minutes, add the soffritto, and stir in the tomato paste and tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then lower to a quiet simmer. Partially cover, and continue cooking for 3 hours, stirring now and then. Along the way, add the remaining cup of wine if you think the sauce is too dense. Soffritto makes 1 cup ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion, minced 1 carrot, minced 1 celery stalk, minced 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, minced ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Saute the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until they begin to color and turn tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Excerpted from The Tuscan Sun Cookbook: Recipes from Our Italian Kitchen by Frances Mayes, Edward Mayes All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
