homemade veal ragu pasta

 

You'll need this:

1.5 kg fresh tomatoes, diced

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

4 tablespoons tomato paste

Large bunch of rosemary, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons of ground chilli

1 litre chicken stock

plain (all-purpose) flour

Salt and pepper for seasoning

250gms butter

1.5 cups dry white wine

2 kg veal shanks

1kg of your favourite pasta - homemade pasta will make this dish!

Serves 6-8 hungry people.

You'll need to do this:

Heat half the butter in a heavy based, oven proof saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot and saute for 6-8 minutes, careful not to brown.  Stir through chilli and rosemary.  Add white wine and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the wine reduces.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and stock.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, lightly dust each veal shank with the seasoned flour.  Add remaining butter to a shallow frying pan and fry off the shanks in batches to brown on each side.  Once browned, add to tomato mix.

Once veal is browned and added to tomato mix, place saucepan in a preheated oven (180 degrees celcius).  Cook for approximately 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone. Once cooked, pull meat and discard the bones.  Try not to break the meat up too much, as the chunkier, the better!

Once you are ready to eat, cook the pasta in boiling water and then stir through the ragu, with a small amount of the cooking water to create a silky texture.

Taste for seasoning, and add salt / pepper as needed.

A meal fit for a celebration (oh, and Father's Day of course!).

Eating this tonight, as well as reading about my family's wonderful day back home, has made me v. homesick.  I am feeling the full distance of the continent that separates us right now!  Really wish I could be home with them all...
 

Happy Eating!

Sam