This ragu recipe was taught to us during a private cooking class in one of our favorite restaurants in Montepulciano --our favorite town in Tuscany.

I've made it several times since our lesson with Angela.  It has come out perfectly each time.

Because it's just Jeff and I at home, this recipe makes enough for us to freeze and use later.  We use it up pretty quickly (within 3 weeks).

After letting the sauce cool, I ladle enough for one meal into a freezer ziplock bag and label it with the date so I can keep track.

Maybe it's best not to tell Angela I'm freezing the sauce . . .  But between us, I'm letting you know I feel pretty smart and on top of things as I prance on over to our freezer and take out a bag of this sauce when we're in the mood for a taste of Tuscany!

I'm patting myself on the back and you will be too!

Homemade Ragu

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Serves	16
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	3 hours
Total time	3 hours, 15 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish
By author	The Ercolano Family -- Gabriella, Angela especially

This ragu is a slow-cooked authentic recipe from the Ercolano Family and is served at Fattoria Pulcino -- their restaurant in Montepulciano (Tuscany).

Ingredients

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Medium carrots (finely chopped)
• 2 Medium onions (finely chopped)
• 2 celery stalks (finely chopped -- leaves and all!)
• 3 Lbs. ground veal or other lean beef (ground sirloin works really well!)
• 2 Large cans tomatoes (I prefer an Italian brand like San Marzano)
• ½ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 2 Cups dry red wine
• 2 Cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Note

Do yourself a favor and don't rush homemade ragu.  Allowing the liquids to absorb/evaporate through the simmering process is well worth your patience!  Although this sauce is delicious to eat the day it's made, Angela at Fattoria Pulcino clued us in on a little piece of interesting info -- they routinely make their sauce the day before they plan to serve it in the restaurant because it is even better the next day!

Another tip is to sample often and adjust salt.  Start with about a tablespoon of kosher salt.  That sounds like a lot, but when you add the other ingredients you may find you need to increase the salt.

ENJOY! - The Recipe Wench

Directions

Step 1
In large saute pan, cook carrots, onions and celery with olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add ground meat, salt and pepper. I would start with about a tablespoon of kosher salt. Simmer over very low heat for approximately 1 hour, stirring often to keep from sticking.
Step 2
Add tomatoes and parsley. Admire how delicious the sauce looks and smells! Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat while slowly adding the red wine. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Step 3
Add vegetable broth and continue to cook down until most liquid has evaporated (approx. 45 minutes). Reduce to low and cook an additional 30 minutes.

 We will never tire of Tuscany.

Winter, spring, summer, fall -- it truly is Heaven on Earth!

Thanks to Pamela Haack of Strada Toscana, Angela of Fattoria Pulcino, and Airbnb, we had a super enjoyable stay and cooking lesson in Montepulciano several months ago (time flies!).

A mere four-hour drive from our home, any destination in Tuscany is one of our favorite Italian road trips.

On this particular trip Jeff and I took our daughter Alyssa and her husband Zach with us as well as our dog Heidi and, judging from the way we looked by the end of the drive, ALL of Heidi's fur!

We stayed in a very comfortable and cozy apartment, which we found through Airbnb.

The apartment was within walking distance to the town center and it had a large yard for Heidi to explore.

With all the travelling we've done over the years, I find that more often than not I'd rather stay in an apartment than a hotel.

I like having access to a kitchen, a living room and, believe it or not, I don't miss the daily maid service.

(Wow!  Have I changed over the years!)

The highlight of this trip was the private cooking class Strada Toscana helped us arrange.

The class was given by the very talented Angela of Fattoria Pulcino.

Back in 2009 we did a class with Angela, and it was amazing.

Needless to say, we were very excited to be able to see Angela again!

Fattoria Pulcino is located in a building which was formerly a monastery and is run by the Ercolano Family -- Sergio and Gabriella, their 6 children, 18 grandchildren and a host of other relatives.  The love for what they do is immediately apparent when you enter Fattoria Pulcino.

We arrived at the restaurant bright and early and were greeted by a very energetic Gabriella who served us cappuccini.

Angela got us all set up with aprons and chef's hats (no doubt, to help us feel like we knew what we were doing!).

The class couldn't have been more informative.

We made ragu and a spicy chili sauce.

We also made pici pasta (a homemade pasta typical of that area), tortellini, tagliatelle and several "crostata," which are fruit-filled desserts along the lines of a cookie/pie combination.

Delicious!

We watched as Angela's sister, Stella, prepared "Pollo al Mattone" at the gigantic wood-fired grill.

Take a whole, butterflied chicken, lay it out over very hot coals and plop two bricks on top while cooking.

It's just so simple and so good!

Stella offered us bruschetta and a refreshing glass of white wine while the chicken was cooking.

After our class we sat down for lunch and enjoyed everything we made that day and more, including a gorgeous Bistecca alla Fiorentina perfectly prepared by one of Stella's sons.

If you're planning a trip to Italy, visit Strada Toscana to see what tours they have planned.  Pamela and her husband, Lou, live in Umbria, Italy and offer boutique-style small group tours and workshops.

Enjoy! - The Recipe Wench