Serious Eats: Recipes
Cook the Book: Sicilian Ground Meat Ragu with Peas
Finding the perfect ragu recipe is a journey. While the two main ingredients are tomatoes and ground meat, the background flavors and texture provided by the other ingredients are what truly make the sauce. Unlike other Italian sauces, a ragu always starts out with a mirepoix, finely chopped celery, carrots, and onions, after this the meat is added, and this is where the variations start.
What type of ground meat to use? Do you add white wine, red wine, or milk? And the tomatoes? Which are the best? Chopped or pureed? And then is there is the question of sugar? To add or not to add?
There are countless ways to make a ragu, with variations all over Italy but this Sicilian Ground Meat Ragu with Peas from The Southern Italian Table by Arthur Schwartz is one of my favorite versions.
There is just something so pleasing about seeing those little green peas afloat in the sauce that makes me smile every time I make it. And to further up the cuteness factor, Sicilians are fond of serving this sauce with tiny little rings of pasta known as anneletti that can't help but conjure up childhood memories of Spaghetti-Os.
As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of The Craft of Baking to give away this week.