Neddas Ragu Napoletana Recipes

NEDDA'S RAGU NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• Heat a pan until hot and then add the olive oil and garlic. Add in your meat (leave all the meat whole), letting it flavor up in the garlic and olive oil and get seared on all sides. Pour in enough tomato puree so that all the meat is covered by more than 1 inch. Stir in some salt and pepper, turn up the heat and cook until it starts to bubble up. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, 5 to 6 hours.
• Remove the meat from the pot. You now have a beautiful flavored meat sauce for your pasta. And the meat becomes the next course--your secondo.

NEAPOLITAN RAGU

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Set a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a 3-count of olive oil and gently brown the meatballs. Meanwhile, with a mortar and pestle, grind the salt, black peppercorns and fennel seeds with some olive oil into a grainy paste. Rub the ribs and shoulder with the mixture.
• Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. In the same pot, brown the shoulder pieces and ribs, in batches. Alternately to save time, roast the ribs in a preheated 500 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes while you brown the shoulder pieces in the pot.
• Remove the shoulder pieces and ribs to the meatball plate and let rest.
• Add a little more olive oil to the pot and add the thyme, oregano, carrots, onion and celery. Stir it around and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Cook the vegetables until they are slightly softened and have some nice color. Add the wine, tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Nestle the pork shoulder pieces back into the middle of the pot then arrange the ribs around the sauce. Finish by placing the meatballs in the gaps (some of the pieces will be sticking out from the sauce but that's perfectly fine as it will roast and caramelize). Use a spoon to baste everything well, cover, then put the pot into the oven and roast until the pork is tender and the meat is just falling off the rib bones, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• For the topping: Combine the chopped raisins, toasted pine nuts and parsley in a small bowl.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the meatballs and ribs to a large platter. Remove the pork shoulder pieces from the pot and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into bite-size pieces and adding them to the platter. Puree the sauce in a food processor then add it back to the pot and set over medium heat. Reduce the sauce until it is rich and thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain and add to a medium bowl. Spoon a little sauce over the spaghetti and the remaining sauce over the platter of meat. Garnish the meat platter with the raisin mixture and serve.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft but not colored, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool.
• Add the bread to a medium bowl and pour in the milk. Let the bread soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and cheese and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add it to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands until just mixed together. Don't overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough. Divide the mixture into 8 equal pieces and shape them into 8 nice looking meatballs. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

RAGU ALLA NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine pine nuts, raisins and garlic. Lay meat slices on a work surface, and season them lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle pine nut and raisin mixture on 1 side of the slices. Roll slices up and secure them with a toothpick or tie them with kitchen string. Place them in a large, deep saute pan and add oil, onion and 4 cups of water. Place over medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until water has evaporated, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Continue cooking, turning meat rolls with tongs, until meat is lightly browned on all sides. Add wine to pan and cook until evaporated. Drain tomatoes, reserving juice, and coarsely chop tomatoes. Add tomatoes, reserved juice and tomato paste to pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is very thick, about 2 hours.
• Remove meat from pan with tongs, remove toothpicks or cut string, and place meat on a serving platter. Season sauce with salt and pepper, and pour it over ziti or penne. Serve with meat and grated Parmesan on the side.

RAGU ALLA NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine pine nuts, raisins and garlic. Lay meat slices on a work surface, and season them lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle pine-nut and raisin mixture on one side of the slices. Roll slices up and secure them with a toothpick or tie them with kitchen string. Place them in a large, deep saute pan and add oil, onion and 4 cups of water. Place over medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until water has evaporated, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Continue cooking, turning meat rolls with tongs, until meat is lightly browned on all sides. Add wine to pan and cook until evaporated. Drain tomatoes, reserving juice, and coarsely chop tomatoes. Add tomatoes and reserved juice to pan, and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is very thick, about 2 hours.
• Remove meat from pan with tongs, remove toothpicks or cut string, and place meat on a serving platter. Season sauce with salt and pepper, and pour it over ziti or penne. Serve with meat and grated Parmesan cheese on the side.

PASTA NAPOLITANA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat; drain and set aside. Discard drippings. In same pan, cook ground beef and sausage in olive oil until beef is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Add onion; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Add tomato paste; cook and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in bacon, marinara sauce, broth, wine, mushrooms, pepperoni, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, sage, seasoned salt, pepper, pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have combined, about 2 hours. Serve with spaghetti and Parmesan cheese.

RAGU NAPOLETANO (NEAPOLITAN MEAT SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a large pasta pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil until smoking.
• Season the veal and beef with salt and pepper to taste and sear 5 or 6 pieces at a time over medium heat, until dark golden brown.
• Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining meat chunks (if using ground chuck, be sure to drain any excess grease from pan).
• Add the onion to the pan and sauté, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits.
• Cook until the onions are golden brown and very soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine, browned meat chunks, tomatoes, sausages, and pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 2 ½-3 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming off the fat as necessary.
• Remove from the heat and remove meat and sausages from sauce.
• Cover well and save for another meal.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and allow to cool.