David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

1/24/07 

Super Bowl Ragu

(serves twelve)

My mother began hosting Super Bowl parties when I was in high school so that my stepfather could have a big crowd to watch the game with. (The guests were mostly my friends because theirs don't like football.) Mom typically made spaghetti and a big pot of meatballs, which I always found a little bland. But I understood the predicament: Usually, cooking for a crowd means compromising a little on taste. Not so with this dish, which I'll be making on Super Bowl Sunday, starting about three hours before game time. Nearly all the work gets done before any of the guests arrive, and all that's left for halftime is cooking the pasta.

• 6 oz pancetta
• 1 large Spanish onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 3 lb ground beef, pork, or sweet sausage removed from its casing
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 c dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc)
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 12-oz. can tomato paste
• 2-3 c water

1. Finely dice the pancetta. Finely chop the onion and garlic.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over a medium flame. Saute the pancetta and onions, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sauteeing for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and reserve.

3. Adding the remaining olive oil, increase the flame under the pan to medium-high and add half of the ground meat, seasoning it with a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until well browned, about 4-5 minutes. Turn the meat with a spatula to brown all sides, but don't crumble the meat. Instead, break it up into pieces not less than an inch long (about the size of a large gumball). When browned, remove and reserve. Then repeat with the rest of the meat.

4. Return all the meat and the pancetta-onion mixture to the pan. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape and dissolve any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and half a cup of the water. Stir to combine while bringing the sauce to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. As the juices in the sauce evaporate, add more water, half a cup at a time. Serve with penne.

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Tips

* If you've never used pancetta before, this is a good time to start. Pancetta is an Italian form of bacon that you can buy in chunk form at any decent butcher and store in the freezer indefinitely. It's made from salt-cured pork belly and cuts easily, even when frozen, so you don't have to defrost it before slicing off the amount you need. In a pinch, you can substitute bacon, but bacon's taste is quite different and too heavy in my opinion.

* You can also use hot sausage or a mixture of hot and sweet. If you do, omit or decrease the red pepper flakes.

* Don't forget to put the pasta water on early, and be aware that you'll need a very large pot. I cook three pounds of penne, and the water I need for that much pasta can take an hour or more to come to a boil.

If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

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David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Coming Free: The Struggle for African-American Equality (DK, 2005).