Wednesday, December 07, 2005

We wish you a Merry Christmas Pasta?

I first made this Rachel Ray recipe when she was probably in her first season on her show, when she was still taking her Ritalin! BTW: Food network seems to be showing these first season shows from 630-7pm nightly. It's almost relaxing to watch her. A crazy juxtaposition with the first 1/2 hour being 'todays' shows and the second being the 'old' shows. She was sooo calm and sweet, compared to her "boingy boingy boingy" approach to her current shows...love ya Ray Ray!

This is a tasty recipe and very easy, super filling! I think the title of the recipe is soley based on when it was made in her family. It's a hearty meat sauce.


Christmas Pasta
4 large servings

2 TB olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 lb pancetta, chopped into small bits
1/2 lb bulk hot Italian sausage
1 lb 'meatloaf' mix (pork, beef, veal)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 cans (32 oz total) diced, peeled tomatoes
Handful of chopped parsley
1/4 tsp allspice or cinnamon
Salt/Pepper
2 lbs Penne--to use all the sauce, can use less pasta and freeze sauce for later!

Parmigiano as an accompaniment

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat.

Add oil, garlic, bay and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute.

Add meats and brown and crumble them for 5 minutes.

Chop carrot, celery and onions, add to the pot as you work.

Cook vegetables with meat for 5 minutes, add wine.

Cook for 1 minute, add stock and tomatoes.

Stir in parsley, allspiceor cinnamon, then season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10-15 minutes minimum before serving.

Reheated sauce only improves!!!

The sauce will cover up to 2 pounds of pasta!

4 comments:

Brunette said...

Sounds delicious- rather like a quick Bolognese sauce. Have you tried it over fluffy gnocchi?

And I'm so glad my memory isn't failing me. I just *knew* that RR hasn't always been so chipper!

Stef said...

I've caught a few of those early Ray Ray episodes lately. Wow, she's like a totally different person. I'd actually like to be friends with that original Ray Ray. I think it's the network folks telling her to ham it up, not vice versa. Cuz how could someone really be that UP all the time? She's pretty boingy on that 40 Dollars a Day show, too.

ScottE. said...

The best $40 a day show, when she totally started mackin' on some venetian guy! I think it was Venice...she was all boobolas with this gondolas driver? navigator? steerererer? captain? Tee hee.

There was one on a few nights ago, from a year ago, $40 a day in NYC...her "sweetie" was on the show. Not bad Ray Ray! I'd split my $40 with him.

Dancer in DC said...

Oh no, she was all whore-ish with that guy in Rome, I think.