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Italian Food Recipe

Name: Mitla Cafes Italian Food Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped; 0.5 cup carrot, finely diced; 0.5 cup celery stalks, finely diced; 4 tsp garlic cloves, minced; 1 lb ground beef (80/20); 0.5 lb ground pork; 3 tbs tomato paste; 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand; 0.75 cup dry red wine; 1 cup beef or chicken stock; 1 unit bay leaf; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 0.5 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity); 6 unit fresh basil leaves, torn; 1 lb dried spaghetti or tagliatelle; 2 tbs salt for pasta water; 2 tbs unsalted butter; 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; 0.25 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (optional); 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (to finish); 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Inspired by Mitla Cafe

Time1h 50m

Serves4

homemade recipes from D'Aquila and his wife's family

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Ingredients

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Tomato Ragù

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup carrot, finely diced

1/2 cup celery stalks, finely diced

4 tsp Garlic cloves, minced

1 lb ground beef (80/20)

1/2 lb ground pork

3 tbs tomato paste

28 oz whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

3/4 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef or chicken stock

1 unit bay leaf

1 tsp Dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)

6 unit fresh basil leaves, torn

Pasta & Finishing

1 lb dried spaghetti or tagliatelle

2 tbs salt for pasta water

2 tbs Unsalted butter

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (optional)

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (to finish)

2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Method

Tomato Ragù

Prepare aromatics

Heat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When shimmering, add the finely chopped onion, diced carrot and diced celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are soft, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.

Brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork to the pot, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon. Brown thoroughly, about 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains and some browned bits form on the bottom. Season with 1 teaspoon of the black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt while browning.

Deglaze & build flavor

Stir in 3 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and becomes fragrant. Pour in 3/4 cup dry red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes & simmer

Add the 28 oz crushed tomatoes and 1 cup stock to the pot. Stir in 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Partially cover with a lid and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 45–60 minutes to concentrate flavors. If the sauce thickens too quickly, add a splash more stock or water.

Season & finish

Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, more black pepper to taste, and up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar if the tomatoes are too acidic. Stir in torn fresh basil leaves about 5 minutes before serving. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Pasta & Finishing

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Add 1 lb dried spaghetti or tagliatelle and cook according to package directions until just shy of al dente (typically 8–10 minutes for spaghetti). Reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Tie together sauce and pasta

Return the drained pasta to the empty pot or to a large sauté pan over low heat. Add 1–2 cups of the ragù (adjust to taste) and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and toss vigorously over low heat so the sauce emulsifies and coats the pasta — add more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Cook together 1–2 minutes until the pasta is fully al dente and the sauce clings to each strand.

Serve

Divide pasta among 4–6 warmed plates. Finish each portion with a drizzle of 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1/4 cup per serving), optional Pecorino if using, and chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately with extra cheese at the table.