This is a recipe I started work on while living in NY in 2018, using cheap ingredients I could get from a local Brooklyn south american supermarket. It has since evolved into something with a lot of OOMPH!
It's essentially a typical red meat sauce that you’ll find in any Italian pasta house, but its just a really good one!
Ingredients:
The amounts here produce a pot that contains 4 large servings!
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1x Large Onion - any kind
- 1x Celery Stick
- 1x Carrot
- 400g Mince Beef or Lamb (needs a longer cook)
- 1x Red Bell Pepper
- 1x Tin of chopped tomatoes
- 10x Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- 2x Large Brown Mushrooms (or 6-8 small ones)
- 6x Garlic Cloves
- 10-15x Black Olives
- 1 fist full of Mixed Herbs or Rosemary + Oregano
- 1-2 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar or Red Wine
- 1 heaped teaspoon of Marmite
- 1x Chicken or Beef Stock Cube
- Parmesan cheese
How to make it!
- Chop onions and and fry them in a large pot at low medium heat.
- Finely chop celery and carrot, fry with the onions are clear/brown.
- Chop the bell pepper and add it once the onions are done; cook for about 2 more mins!
- Add the minced beef and fry until pink bits are gone.
- Add tinned tomatoes; then fill the tin with fresh water and add that too.
- Loosely chop tomatoes and mushrooms; bring everything to a simmer.
- Loosely chop garlic and add that; add olives, crush them between your fingers as you do.
- Add herbs, vinegar/wine, stir in marmite, break up stock cube and add it in too.
- Bring everything to a boil (add more water if needed) - then put on lid and reduce heat.
- Simmer for 1-2 hours! Remove lid to allow it to reduce to the desired thickness near the end.
- Done! You can eat it right away or cool it and reheat it later - do not cool it too fast!
How to eat!
I recommend using fusilli pasta; cook the pasta a little al-dentate; serve in a wide past bowl with a generous amount of sauce; top it off with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese. This also goes great with Spanish red wine, something with a bit of bite!
Use a fork, and place pastas in mouth at a reasonable speed! (hard!)
