WELCOME TO WINTER

MUSHROOM PEPPER BUCATINI

Welcoming a new season always makes me think of changing what I'm hungry for. Actually, the season itself probably changes what I'm hungry for. So as the snow begins to occasionally flurry and I need a heavier jacket, my stomach tells me it needs something rich and warm and bursting with flavor. Personally, that triggers tomato sauce, lots of mushrooms and fat heavy pasta.

Bucatini is a thicker pasta with a hole, like a tube. Sauce gets in there and it has a nice solid texture.

Anything goes here. No holding back. So let your mind run to excess! Add or subtract what you like or don't like from the dish below, but try the idea. You'll like it. AND enhance everything with a fine wine. 

The fine wine I chose is probably my favorite of all: Brunello di Montalcino. There is always a case or two aging in my cellar for those special occasions. And nothing is as special as welcoming Winter!

Flavio Fanti

La Palazzetta

The Brunello I chose is from the small winery of Flavio Fanti. His 2008 La Palazzetta vintage of 100% Sangiovese is organically grown and fermented with its natural yeast, as it should be. 

This is not factory wine. He only produced 2500 cases and I know that I smile with the other 2499 owners who sip along with me.

Now to the dish. Pork and tomato sauce are a perfect combination. "Country Ribs" as they are called here, with or without the bone, make a flavorful choice. I like to shred off a piece on my plate and let it drink up any liquid part of sauce, it does so like a sponge, and then it melts in your mouth, full of flavor! Because of that, I want a sauce that has a liquid part. So I will not puree the tomatoes but merely mash them with my hands before cooking them down. I'll also add some of the wine to this sauce, wedding the dish and the drink.

I like my sauce soft, so I don't add too much salt or pepper and a little sugar. But everybody to their own taste. Do as you please. I won't mind!

This is more than sufficient for two. For timing, the initial prep, browning, etc. takes nearly one hour, so begin 3½ - 4 hrs before you intend to serve. Don't rush this. Also, a wine like Brunello, will have ample time to 'breathe.'

Ingredients

4                    "Country Style" Pork Ribs

1    med.        Onion, diced

8    oz            Mushrooms (or more), sliced ¼ inch

1                    Sweet Pepper, sliced ¼ inch

3    cloves      Garlic, chopped

4    Tbs          Butter (2 ea. for 2 sautés)

4    Tbs          Olive Oil (2 ea. for 2 sautés)

3    oz            Ham, diced

2                    dried chili peppers

⅛   tsp           Cinnamon

1    Tbs          Sugar

½   cup          Red Wine

28  oz            Tomatoes (use the best), hand crushed

2    Tbs          Tomato paste (or just enough)

A Lot             Fresh Basil

½   lb             Bucatini

                      Salt & Pepper to taste

                      Reggiano Parmigiano, grated

Method

Brown Pork well in 2 Tbs Butter and 2 Tbs Oil. Remove and reserve.

Add Ham to pot and sauté, stirring for about 1 - 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.

Prepped Veggies and Ham

Add Onions and stir around to pick up the browned Pork and Ham from the bottom of the pan. Let cook for about 3 minutes, stirring a few times.

Lower heat and add Sweet Peppers, stir in and cover, allowing vegetables to sweat down for about 10 minutes.

'sweating' peppers

Remove vegetables with all juices and reserve.

Vegetables reserved and Tomatoes crushed

Add 2 Tbs each of Butter and Olive Oil to pan, raise heat to sauté. When Butter is hot, add Mushrooms and stir occasionally until Mushrooms are limp and starting to exude their juices. Remove Mushrooms with slotted spoon to vegetable dish.

Now add the Tomatoes that have been hand-crushed, add some Salt then sprinkle on the chopped Garlic. 

Increase heat and partially cover, letting the Tomatoes cook down until they start to break down. Stir occasionally.

Start Tomatoes

Tomatoes ready

When Tomatoes are ready, add Sugar and Cinnamon, stir.

Add Pork and Ham, stir.

Add vegetables, stir.

Add Red Wine, stir.

Either add Basil and Dried Chili Pepper to be removed later, or as I did, tie them in a coffee filter or cheesecloth, making an 'herb bouquet' and add this to the pot now, submerging it a little.

Everything In

Herb Bouquet

Allow the sauce to simmer, partially covered for about 2 - 2½ hours.

But don't leave it and forget it!! Stir every half hour or so, and check on its thickness. If it gets too thick, add some water. If it remains too thin, add some Tomato Paste. If you add Tomato Paste, be sure to do it with at least ½ - 1 hour left to cook. (I needed to add 2 Tbs paste.)

Near the end, check seasonings and add Salt, Pepper or Sugar as desired and let sauce finish while pasta cooks.

When sauce is done, bring water to a boil in a pan large enough to hold pasta and sauce. I used an oblong casserole pan. Remember: "The sauce can wait for the pasta, the pasta can't wait for the sauce!"

When water boils, add Bucatini and cook to package instructions for 'al dente.' Strain and return to pan.

Remove Pork Ribs and herb Bouquet from sauce and then add all the sauce to the Bucatini and gently stir everything together. 

Let sit on very low heat for about 3 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. The sauce will fill the Bucatini tubes.

Place two pieces of Pork on a plate and some of the Bucatini, add sauce over that and then a generous amount of  freshly grated Reggiano Parmigiano. 

Bon Appetit!