Chinese-Italian Ragu
This savory ragu sauce blends together Chinese and Italian flavors for an unexpectedly delicious fusion of flavors!
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Carrots finely diced
- 1/2 cup Fennel Stalks finely diced
- 1 small Yellow Onion finely diced
- 4 oz Pancetta diced
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan Peppercorns optionally grind before adding
- 1/2 teaspoon Whole Cloves optionally grind before adding or use 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds optionally grind before adding
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/2 lb Ground Italian Pork Sausage I used mild Italian sausage
- 3/4 lb Ground Beef I used 90/10 ground beef
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper
- 1.5 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- 1/2 cup Shaoxing Wine or substitute with dry sherry or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes I used a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup Water or chicken bone broth; add more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Star Anise
- 2 Dried Red Chili Peppers
Instructions
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the finely diced carrot, fennel stalks, and yellow onion. Cook for 4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 cup Carrots, 1/2 cup Fennel Stalks, 1 small Yellow Onion
- Stir in the diced pancetta and Sichuan peppercorns and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the cloves and fennel seeds and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.4 oz Pancetta, 1 teaspoon Sichuan Peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon Whole Cloves, 1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds, 4 cloves Garlic
- Add the ground Italian sausage and ground beef. Use a potato masher (or wooden spoon) to break the meat into crumbles. Season with salt, white pepper, and Chinese five spice. Cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned.1/2 lb Ground Italian Pork Sausage, 3/4 lb Ground Beef, 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper, 1.5 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- Pour in the Shaoxing wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any stuck bits. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.1/2 cup Shaoxing Wine
- Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes, water, and bring to a simmer. Mix in the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and granulated sugar.2 tablespoon Tomato Paste, 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes, 1 cup Water, 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce, 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce, 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- Turn heat to low. Stir in the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, star anise, and dried red chili peppers. Cover the pot with a lid, leaving it slightly ajar. Cook for at least 2 hours or up to 3 hours. Stir occasionally throughout the cooking process and add splashes of water or chicken bone broth as needed if the liquid reduces too much. Add additional salt to taste.1 Cinnamon Stick, 1 Bay Leaf, 2 Star Anise, 2 Dried Red Chili Peppers
- Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, star anise, and dried red chili peppers before serving. You can also discard any whole cloves if you didn't grind them. See notes for serving suggestions.
Notes
Note: I served the sauce with spaghetti and topped with parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp
Nutrition
Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 880mg | Potassium: 898mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2216IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 5mg
