It’s beginning to feel like fall here, which is putting me in the mood for soups, stews and heartier pasta dishes that I don’t usually make in the summer. So today seemed like a good day to share one of our favorites. I know this isn’t my usual heavy-on-the-fruits-and-vegetables kind of recipe but, while we don’t eat pasta every day, we do love it and this dish is nourishing to the soul as well as the body.
Nick’s Cousin Claudio is a chef in Italy. When we got married there in 2004, one of the incredibly special things about our trip was meeting some of our Italian relatives. We were married in Ripa Teatina, a tiny hilltop town overlooking the Adriatic, in the church where Nick’s great-grandparents were married before they emigrated to the United States, and where some of his cousins still live.
A few days before our wedding, family members we had never met welcomed us into their home for a meal and Claudio cooked pasta for us. This pasta. We didn’t get his recipe, but he gave us basic instructions and when we got home I experimented and made it over and over until we felt like we had finally achieved it. Of course, we call it Cousin Claudio’s Sauce.
(This picture is in front of the little grocery store the family runs.)
One day last year on a hectic school and soccer night, I gave the kids pasta with jarred sauce (which for the record, we do eat). On that night though, my daughter declined to eat her dinner, and when I inquired as to why she wasn’t eating she said sweetly, “Mommy, I just really prefer Cousin Claudio’s Sauce.” Don’t we all, my dear. I’m still not sure whether I should have felt pleased or embarrassed or annoyed. I may have created a monster. I’ve definitely raised a foodie.
Those of you who know us well have probably had Cousin Claudio’s Sauce, as it is one of our favorite meals to share with family and friends. And to this day it takes me back to that simple but incredible meal in a beautiful place with very special people. We are still overwhelmed by and so thankful for their warmth and hospitality.
This sauce is so simple but it is really important not to rush it. Take your time and allow the flavors to develop at each step. The carrots and onions basically melt into the sauce and you will have to look closely to even know they are there. Use a flat or angled wooden spoon and break the meat up into really tiny bits as it cooks. Allow the onions, carrots and meat to all three to simmer together, and then give the wine plenty of time to cook down. If you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute an equal amount of chicken or vegetable broth with lemon juice. You just need the acidity to brighten the flavors. Finishing the sauce with butter adds just the right bit of creaminess, flavor and mouth feel to the sauce. A drizzle of olive oil or ghee and a tiny pinch of salt is a good dairy free substitute.
This sauce is best served with linguine. It won’t be the same with a shorter pasta shape or capelinni. We used to love DeCecco brand linguine, which is made in Chieti, Italy, very near where we were married and first had this sauce. Now that we are gluten free, the only pasta that measures up for us is Jovial, which is a whole grain brown rice pasta made in Tuscany with traditional methods. Now I use Jovial’s Organic Brown Rice Spaghetti for this sauce now (until they start making linguine!) and it is delicious. Even if you aren’t gluten free, I highly recommend it as a healthier, whole grain option. You can’t even tell the difference. And we’re pretty picky about our pasta!
I’m feeding a family of six and I love to get 2 meals from anything that takes a bit of time to prepare. So this recipe will sauce 4, 12 oz. boxes of Jovial spaghetti. It can easily be cut in half, if you aren’t feeding a small hungry army like I am.
A few other important tips to make this a truly authenitc Italian pasta experience:
1. Salt your pasta cooking water liberally to season the pasta. Do not add oil to your cooking water. This prevents the pasta from absorbing the sauce.
2. Cook your pasta to almost but not quite al dente, the point where it still has just a bit of bite. This usually means undercooking it by two or three minutes from the package directions so check it often towards the end of the cooking time.
3. Do NOT rinse your cooked pasta. Drain the pasta in a colander and then put it straight into your warm sauce. Toss it well with a pair of tongs and let it sit in the sauce on very low heat for just a few minutes. This allows the pasta to absorb all of the flavors of the sauce while it finishes cooking.
4.Italians do not over-sauce their pasta. The sauce is a delicious condiment to showcase the pasta. So after you let your pasta sit in the sauce for a few minutes, pull it out, put it in a serving bowl, top it with just a bit more sauce if you feel like you need to and then save the remaining sauce for another meal.
I hope you love Cousin Claudio’s Sauce as much as we do. And I hope Claudio will think we are doing his sauce (and his name) justice.
Serve with an arugula salad and enjoy with your loved ones!
Cousin Claudio’s Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion finely minced
- 8-10 large full size carrots, finely minced (approx. 3 cups, minced)
- 1 lb ground beef please use organic, grass fed beef if possible
- 1 c. Dry white wine can substitute 2/3 c broth with juice of one lemon
- 2, 28 oz cans crushed or puréed tomatoes
- 2-4 cups water
- 2 T butter optional (use olive oil, coconut oil or ghee with a tiny pinch of salt ffor a dairy free version)
- 2, 12 oz boxes
- Jovial Organic Brown Rice Spaghetti
- Parmigiano reggiano for serving optional
Coat a large skillet or cast iron pant with the olive oil and warm over medium heat.
Place carrots In a food processor and pulse until they are minced finely, but not puréed, then add to your skillet. Repeat with the onions.
Cook the carrots and onions over medium heat, stirring often, until they are softened but,not yet starting to brown or caramelize.
Move the carrots and onions to one side of the skillet and add the ground beef in the open space. Use a flat or angled wooden or bamboo spoon and break the meat up into really tiny bits as it cooks. When the beef is browned, stir it into the vegetables. Allow the onions, carrots and meat to all three to simmer together until the meat is cooked through and any liquid has evaporated.
Add the white wine or broth and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Add one cup of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring often, scraping down the sides of your skillet and incorporating the bits of sauce from the edges of the pan. Add water, 1 cup at a time, as needed to keep the sauce the same consistency. The color will deepen and turn more orange as it cooks. The longer you allow the sauce to simmer, the deeper the flavor will be. Just keep adding a bit more water as it cooks down.
Just before serving, stir in 2 T butter or one of the dairy free alternatives.
Bring 6-8 quarts of water to a boil in a large stock pot. When the water has come to a boil, add approx 1 T sea salt to the water. Do not add any oil. Cook the pasta according to your package instructions, but check it a few minutes early and remove it from the water just before it is al dente.
Drain pasta in a colander and add it to your sauce. Use tongs to combine the pasta and sauce, making sure all of the pasta is coated. Let it sit over low heat for just a few minutes to allow the pasta to absorb all of the flavors from the sauce as it finishes cooking. Use your tongs to lift the pasta out of the sauce and into a serving bowl. You should have half of the sauce remaining, set it aside for another meal.
Serve with grated parmigiano reggiano, if you wish, and enjoy with your loved ones!
I recently read about a 2014 study that found home packed school lunches, as a whole, included more sugar, calories and unhealthy fats had lower nutritional value than school lunches. Wow! If this is true, we have some serious work to do, fellow lunch packing parents! I’ll admit packing school lunches is not my favorite activity. But it’s really important to me to feed my family foods that nourish their bodies and minds and we also have multiple food allergies, so its a necessity for us.
