Y’all. I’m going to Italy!!!!!!! If you know me at all, you know how freaking clutch this news is. I LOVE Italy and all things Italian – the food, the culture, the architecture, the wine. It just seems to me that a nation of people who make food, love and midday rest their utmost priorities is pretty much where I belong. Don’t get me wrong – I’m a proud citizen of the good ol’ U.S. of A., but sometimes I think that in reality I must actually be an Italian grandmother who’s having a reallllly long, vivid dream that I’m a 30-something blonde American with three rambunctious young sons, and at some point, I’ll awake from my slumber and return to the cucina to check on my Sunday sauce.
So when the opportunity arose to participate in a food blogging workshop…annnnnnnnnnd said workshop happened to be in Italia, I pounced!! Behold: Masseria Potenti (I can’t even type the words without saying them aloud in a thick Italian accent).
Masseria Potenti is a 16th century farmhouse located in the Puglia region of Italy, situated amongst olive groves and orchards and vegetable gardens and vineyards, just a few miles from the beach. This beach.
Are you kidding me?!?! I can’t even believe I get to experience a place like this, let alone learn really cool things about food photography, food styling and recipe development WHILE I’m there!!! I’m SO psyched!!
So since I’ve been feeling particularly Italian-y, I’ve been jonesing for authentic Italian food. My go-to lately for all things Italiano: my favorite Italian cookbook Pasta By Hand, a compilation of old regional Italian family recipes passed down through the generations. Ummmm hellooooo, old Italian family recipes?! You KNOW this is gonna be good!! The only problem when you’re talkin’ pasta: it doesn’t exactly jibe with the gluten-free experiment I’ve been test-driving this past month. My solution: spaghetti squash! Gluten-free, delicious and adds a nutritional punch, to boot.
I’m telling you, this is the absolute best meat sauce I’ve ever tasted outside of Italy. It’s the epitome of Italian excellence: simple, quality ingredients cooked low and slow for hours to coax out every ounce of flavor that lies within. It’ll leave you daydreaming about all the different foods you could theoretically slather in ragu.
Now go, mangia! Capische??
Print Recipe
Beef Ragu over Spaghetti Squash
This is ridiculously good. The sauce is from one of my very favorite cookbooks Pasta By Hand, a compilation of old Italian family recipes passed down through the generations, which, for a wannabe Italian like myself, is basically like hitting the jackpot. This sauce is the epitome of Italian excellence - simmered low and slow for hours to coax out every ounce of flavor mingling within. Don't be put off by the 3 hours it takes to cook - just get it all in the pot and let it do its thing as you go about your day. Served over roasted spaghetti squash rather than traditional noodles, this is a hearty meal that won't bloat.
In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked and browned bits stick to the bottom of the pot, about 8 to 10 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl, then carefully drain the fat, leaving about 3 tbsp fat in the pot, discarding the rest. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and red pepper flakes, and sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent but not brown, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato caramelizes, about 4 to 6 minutes. If it starts to burn or get too dark, lower the heat. Add the wine, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Use your wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Return the meat to the pot, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the meat has become tender and the sauce has gradually reduced. Now, this will take about 3 hours or so, but trust me, the end result is so worth it. Get started on the sauce after lunch, leave it to do its thang all afternoon, then all you have to do later is stick the squash in the oven! When the sauce has thickened, season to taste with sea salt and pepper (I literally only had to use a pinch, the flavor was already incredible).
To make the spaghetti squash:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut each spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (careful, this can be tough, so use a very sharp knife), then use a spoon to remove the seeds. Drizzle the insides with a little olive oil and season with a little sea salt and pepper, then place cut-side down on the baking sheet.
Bake about 40 minutes or so, until tender. Remove from oven, let cool 5 min or so, then use a fork to shred the insides into "spaghetti".
To serve, plate some spaghetti squash, then top with sauce and a little freshly shaved parmigiano reggiano.
