July 18, 2012

Simple Like in Italy: Cavatappi with the Simplest Veal Pasta Sauce

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When we were in Bologna, we ate at a place called Osteria 15 and we had a fantastic meal. One of the dishes that we ate was a simple pasta with sausage sauce. It wasn't elaborate or complicated, just a few ingredients that went together perfectly to create a wonderful, comforting dish.



This dish is quite similar although instead of using sausage, we use ground veal. There's nothing much that's special or complicated about this dish, it's just a couple of ingredients that go together really well. The result is an experience that's far more delicious than you'd expect given the amount of effort required.



So if you're in the mood for something strikingly delicious in its simplicity, give this simplest veal pasta sauce a try, and enjoy!

Making the Dish
What You'll Need
1/2 lb cavatappi or other tubular pasta
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 lb ground veal
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (plus a touch more for garnish)
salt and pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and then add in the chopped onion, a touch of salt, and the crushed red pepper. Simmer over medium heat for about 7 - 8 minutes until the onion is thoroughly soft and slightly golden.

Once the onion is ready, add in the veal and stir together with the onion. Grind on a touch of fresh ground pepper and add a bit more salt. Let the veal cook in with the onion and olive oil until it is mostly browned on all sides - about 3 - 4 minutes.

While the veal is cooking. remove the whole tomatoes from the can and juice and chop coarsely. Add the chopped tomato to the saucepan. You do not need to add the juice - but if you feel like the sauce needs a bit more looseness, add in a touch of it.

Stir everything together and bring the sauce to a bubble. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and let the veal sauce simmer on very low heat, covered, for about 20 - 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure nothing gets burnt.

In the last 10 minutes of cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and throw in the pasta. Cook until a minute shy of package directions.

When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving a cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and then add in the veal sauce. Add in the pecorino romano, and drizzle some of the pasta water on top to get it to melt slightly. Then, stir everything together until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Serve garnished with some additional pecorino romano cheese, and enjoy!



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2 comments:

  1. delicious! I just made this :)

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    Replies
    1. awesome, glad you liked it! thanks for letting us know!

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