Slow Cooked Ragú with Saint Matthew

This rich, hearty sauce is a perfect winter warmer.
Leftovers can continue to be used throughout the week in lasagne, bolognese, stews or even on toast it's a real winner.

Sure it might take a little time but boy is it worth it! 

This recipe is pretty fool proof so if you're at work during the day, you can start this in the morning and leave it on low in a slowcooker and still get an incredible meal come dinner time - and the house will smell amazing!

Serves 4-6
3 hours 

3 Tbsp olive oil

Pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta 

200g ground beef

200g pork sausage

100g bacon or pancetta

Butter 

2 diced carrots

1/2 chopped celery 

1 diced onion 

4 cloves chopped garlic

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup red wine

3 Tablespoons Saint Matthew - Chocolate and Manuka Chipotle

1 cup of beef or chicken stock

400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

2 bay leaves

2 cups milk

Salt & pepper

Method

Preheat a dutch oven or casserole dish on bake at 150°C.
Once hot, leave the oven on and transfer to stove top on medium heat adding 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat until the oil begins to shimmer.

Combine beef and pork sausage and add to the pot, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Once the meat has released a good amount of moisture but not completely cooked through, remove from the pot leaving juice and oils in the bottom and set the meat aside.

Placing the pot back on the heat, add your bacon and a knob of butter and cook until almost golden. Then add your onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook until vegetables are tender.

Return the mince to the pot and add wine, Saint Matthew - Chocolate & Manuka Chipotle and tomato paste. Once the wine has simmered down, add your stock, tinned tomatoes, milk and bay leaves.

Place the pot in the oven with the lid on and allow to cook for 1 hour, by this time the Ragú should be cooked through and most of the moisture sitting on the top. Remove the lid and thoroughly stir before returning to the oven to cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, regularly stirring and scraping down the sides of the pot until Ragú is thick and creamy.

Bring a pot of salt water to the boil and add in your Parpadelle and cook until al dente. Strain pasta and gently stir through a few spoons of the Ragú until pasta is covered with sauce.

Plate up your dish by using a pair of tongs and a ladle then spooning an extra serving of Ragú on top with lots of Parmesan.