Easter Dinner with Pam.... Home-made Sugo

Most people get Easter eggs from the bunny but I got a fabulous Sugo from my friend Pam. Italian Americans rarely need an excuse to bring out their XXL saucepots and exercise their natural cooking skills. Families gather, eat, drink and celebrate together, so when Easter comes around, kitchens sizzle and bubble in preparation. Pam is no exception and gets busy with a traditional Sugo, something she declares is a fairly gargantuan task and one she tackles a couple of times a year at best. She does it with the same energy and enthusiasm as she does her Zumba classes. ( She teaches Zumba, Spin and Piloxing in her free time!) Not only does she cook this elaborate meal, but she writes the recipe down, takes some pretty cool pics and brings me a bowl of the finished product to taste.

The term Sugo is best described as a sauce that is flavored with meat and served over pasta. Tomatoes usually play a large role but it is the meat that takes center-stage. Pam uses meatballs, Bracciole, ribeye and sausage meat to flavor her sauce. Personally, I felt like it was a taste from the past; it conjured images of a little old Italian Nonna, dressed in a head scarf, with arthritic fingers gently simmering the sauce all day long in some village in Sicily. In our hurried frantic lifestyles a dish like this one classifies as a luxury and is definitely one that requires planning, skills and infinite patience. There's no denying that the end results are awesome but you have your work cut out for you once you decide to cook a Sugo. Pam even sends me a cheat sheet, one she's figured out after years of cooking this dish. "Don't use Oregano - it turns the sauce bitter,"tops the list."Don't use cheap canned tomatoes. Try to mix brands of tomatoes. I have discovered over the years that each brand of canned tomatoes has its unique sin. When you blend brands the compliment each other and even out the "issues". I like to mix Cento imported, with the better quality Tutturosso."

The devil is in the details and I tasted it in this wonderfully comforting and yet sophisticated dish.

Pam's Recipe for Sugo:

1 can each tomato puree, crushed tomatoes and whole peeled tomatoes

I extra can of tomato puree ( optional)

1/ 2 cup Olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 bulb fresh garlic

1 bunch plain Italian flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup pecorino romano

1/4 lb provolone cheese

2 to 3 hard boiled eggs (optional)

2 raw eggs

1 lb sweet italian sausage links

1.25 lb mixed grind

1 piece of ribeye steak

4 to 6 pieces of bracciole meat

1/2 teaspoon of dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Extra olive oil for frying

Cooking twine for the bracciole

To make the sauce:

1.In a stock pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and 2 cloves sliced garlic. When fragrant add the canned tomatoes and the puree and stir well. Turn off heat and crush the whole peeled tomatoes,add in the dried basil, stir, reduce the heat and let simmer for about a half hour.

2. Raise the heat and bring the pan to a rapid simmer. Add the raw sausage links and the

3. Sear the ribeye to seal in flavors and place in tomato sauce. Simmer and stir to prevent scorching.Tomatoes are notorious for sticking to the pan and ruining the sauce.

4. While it simmers prepare the meatballs.

To make the meatballs:

Place the bread crumbs and pecorino in the bottom of a mixing bowl and add in the following:

two cloves of minced garlic

mixed grind

2 raw eggs

handful of parsley minced

Mix thoroughly and set in fridge for about an hour ( this helps to blend the ingredients)

Roll into meatballs approx 1.25" in size.

Brown meatballs and let drain on paper towels

Add to tomato sauce and let simmer for an hour stirring occasionally (be gentle when you stir being careful not to break up the meatballs)

5.Prepare the bracciole.

To make the Bracciole

Lay the bracciole meat on a cutting board and pound it flat. Season with salt and pepper and

sprinkle it with minced garlic, minced parsley and small pieces of provolone.
Add 1/2 hard boiled egg to center (optional). Roll up and tie each end closed with cooking twine.

Brown the bracciole in a pan in a bit of olive oil, taking care to only sear it and seal in the juices.

Drain on paper towels and place in sauce.

Let simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally

Turn off heat, skim oils and fat from the top of the pot.

Serve with your favorite pasta sprinkled with crushed red pepper and fresh basil.