yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

after a 21 month long absence, they're back!

i'm cooking a big meal for the occasion, lasagne alla napoletana. lotta steps involved in making it, but omg, it's sooooo worth it.

so, w/o further ado:

ragu napoletano

¼ c olive oil
1 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into chunks
1 lb beef chuck, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
1 red onion, finely chopped
¾ c dry red wine
2 28 oz cans san marzano tomatoes, with their juices, passed thru a food mill
8 oz sweet italian sausage
pinch hot red pepper flakes

in large dutch oven, heat olive oik over medium heat till smoking. season the pork and beef with salt and pepper and sear in batches till dark golden brown. transfer to a plate.

add the onion to the pot and saute, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits, until golden brown and very soft, about 10mins. add the wine and browned meat chunks, tomatoes, sausages and red pepper flakes and bring just to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2½ to 3 hrs. remove from heat, remove the meats and sausages, and set aside. adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and allow to cool.

polpette alla napoletana

3 c day old bread, cut into 1" cubes
1¼ lb ground beef
3 eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ c freshly grated pecorino romano
¼ c finely chopped italian parsley
¼ c pignolias, toasted
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c olive oil

in a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in water to cover for 20 mins. drain the bread cubes ans squeeze out the excess moisture.
in a large bowl, combine the beef, bread, eggs, pecorino, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper and mix until just blended. with wet hands, form the mixture into 12-15 large meatballs.
in a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over med-hi heat until almost smoking. add the meatballs, working in batches, and cook, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 mins per batch.

lasagne alla napoletana

1 lb dried lasagna, cooked and cooled enough to handle
2 T olive oil
RAGU NAPOLETANO, sausages sliced ¼-½" thick, meats reserved for another use
3 c ricotta (whole milk please!)
POLPETTE, cut in half
1 c freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 lb mozzarella di bufala campagna, cut into ½" dice
preheat oven to 350°. assemble lasagne in 9x13x4" dish. spread ½ c ragu over the bottom of the dish, then top with a layer of pasta, a layer of ricotta, a layer of polpette and sausage, and a layer of parmigiano. continue thusly till you run out of ingredients. top with the mozzarella.
bake 1 hr and 15 mins. let rest 15-30 mins before serving.