Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, thickly sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ pound ground veal

½ pound ground lamb

½ ground ground beef

2 ounces prosciutto, diced

1 cup red wine

3 cups tomato sauce

½ cup tomato paste

1 cup chicken or beef stock

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Yield: 6-7 cups

Printable Version

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and slowly sauté the celery, carrot, onion and garlic until they are tender and sweet, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the basil, parsley, sage, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat to medium high and add the veal, lamb, beef and proscuitto. Cook, stirring often until the meats start to brown, 6-8 minutes. Add the wine gently scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits that might be clinging at the bottom of the pan. Reduce by half.

Mix in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer, covered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. For a thicker sauce, remove the lid after 30 minutes and simmer uncovered until rich and concentrated.

Chef’s Tip

Foe a smoother sauce place the carrot , onion, and celery in a food processor. Pulse for less then a minute to a rough paste. Use this paste in place of the chopped vegetables