Sugo di Carne
Enjoy an amazing Italian dish of Sugo di Carne, made with rich, savory flavors of butter, beef, onions tomatoes, and wine--served on pasta.Recipe adapted from Caffe Mingo’s restaurant, downtown Portland, Oregon. Amazing pasta sauce that feeds a crowd!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks
- 1 5-pound beef bottom round, cut into 2 inch cubes (beef top round roast is another option!)
- 3 large red onions, halved, thinly sliced
- 1 750 ml bottle Chianti or other fruity wine
- 1 28 oz peeled tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup brewed espresso
- 2-4 oz premium dark chocolate, optional
- 2 pounds penne pasta, or your favorite kind (I use DeLallo brand)
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large ovenproof dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook beef until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. (Use 1 stick of butter, divided with the batches of meat.) Transfer beef to large bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the other stick of butter to pot and melt. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Return browned beef and any accumulated juices back into the pot. Add wine, tomatoes with juice, and espresso. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
- Braise beef until tender, about 2 hours. After 2 hours, using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl and with 2 forks, shred the beef. Set aside.
- Take the juices from the pot and puree in blender (I use my Vitamix), then pour the sauce back into the pot.
- Secret STEP: If you want to add a secret ingredient to the sauce, add 2-4 oz of premium dark chocolate. Allow to melt.
- Return the shredded beef back into the pot with the sauce. Mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- COOK THE PASTA: Cook pasta in pot of salted boiling water until tender, but still firm to bite. Try to use a pasta with ridges to adhere to sauce.
- When ready to serve, add pasta to individual bowls, and add sauce on top; garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Or, you can add the cooked pasta to the sauce and gently mix together and serve.
Notes
Reposted from 2014 on RE.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 457kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 12mg, Potassium: 270mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 475IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 2mg