Taste: My Life Through Food

by Stanley Tucci

Ragù Tucci This is the traditional way the Tuccis make ragù. My maternal grandmother made a lighter version of this same sauce. It calls for spareribs and stewing beef in this recipe, but different cuts of meat may be added depending on what is on hand—pork chops, sausage, pig’s feet. It is delicious with polpette (meatballs), which may be added to the sauce during the last half hour of cooking. The sauce may be prepared two days ahead of serving. Refrigerate it overnight and reheat before tossing with the pasta. It may also be frozen with the meat and meatballs. — SERVES 8 — ¼ cup olive oil 1 pound stewing beef, trimmed of fat, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into medium-size pieces 1 pound country-style spareribs, trimmed of fat, cut in half, rinsed, and patted dry 1 cup roughly chopped onions 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped ½ cup dry red wine One 6-ounce can tomato paste 1 ½ cups warm water, plus more as needed 8 cups canned whole plum tomatoes (about two 35-ounce cans), passed through a food mill or pureed in the blender 3 fresh basil leaves 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried Warm the olive oil in a stew pot set over medium-high heat. Sear the stewing beef until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside in a bowl. Add the spareribs to the pot and sear until they are brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside in the bowl with the stewing beef. (If your pot is big enough to hold all the meat...