‘Your sense of humour is endearing’,  ‘you crack me up’… that’s what I get from my new British friends. (Mum of the twins’ new fellow class mates, of course). Are those compliments?! Not sure if they are actually – perhaps is it just a nice way to tell me that they don’t get my broken English!? Either way I am very happy to finally (7 years later) having met someone able to make me appreciate the Anglo-Saxon culture …and to teach me new words!

E.N.D.E.A.R.I.N.G.?!? Took me 5 minutes only to check the spelling and look it up online, but I love this word now.  😉

I guess I should find more sophisticated words to explain my recipes, then.

Like – I find this veal ragu’ with orange sauce quite outlandish (!?!?), strikingly unconventional as an Italian recipe, still somewhat authentic and nice. Slow cooked for at least an hour and a half, it is going to be deep, rich, flavourful and worth the extra effort.

Bucatini with Veal and Orange Sauce

Veal and Orange Sauce

Ingredients for 4/5 people:

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

450 gr ground veal

1 pork sausage, chopped in small dices

600 ml meat stock

1 tsps. dried thyme or a small handful of fresh leaves, chopped

1 tbsp. dried marjoram or a small handful of fresh leaves, chopped

1/2 glass white cooking wine, dry

pinch of sea salt

1/2 orange

grated parmesan, to serve

Method:

You might have your meat stock ready to use – I always have some vegetable or meat stock in my fridge ready for cooking – if not you can easily prepare it with water and knorr cubes. Read manufacturer’s instruction for doses. It doesn’t sound very authentic and healthy, but it’s quite quick if you don’t have any broth available.

On a medium heat, put the oil and the butter together in a large, heavy-based saucepan.

When everything is hot and simmering, add the chopped onion-celery-carrot mixture and let it frying until softened and golden.

Increase the heat and add the minced veal together with the sausage.

Fry it until it has browned, breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.

Pour in the wine and boil – on a quite high heat – until it has reduced in volume by about a third.

Reduce the temperature and stir in the fresh (or dry) herbs.

Season with salt.

Ragu’ on going

Add enough broth to cover the meat, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours, until it’s rich and thickened.

Stir occasionally and whenever the sauce gets too dry and starts sticking to the pan, just add a bit more broth and let it simmering.

When it’s ready, add the juice of half orange and stir thoroughly.

Remove it from the heat to ‘settle’ while you cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water (for the time stated on the packet). I find the best pasta for this recipe ‘Schiaffoni’ or ‘Bucatini’ .

Drain, put the pasta in a serving bowl and add the sauce. Mix everything together.

Serve immediately, scattering a little bit of parmesan over the pasta

I add a slice of orange to décor.

Categories: Savouries, uh!

Tags: Meat,, Pasta,, Savouries,