Gargati with spring ragu (il consiero)
This traditional gargati pasta with a mixed meat and spring vegetable ragu recipe from Veneto is made with different white meats and fresh seasonal spring veggies. It's a delicious one plate meal that all the family will love!
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 400 g gargati pasta ((14oz) or other pasta tubes)
- 120 g pork tenderloin ((4oz))
- 120 g veal tenderloin ((4oz))
- 120 g chicken breast ((4oz))
- 60 g lardo (cured pork fatback) ((2oz) or fatty bacon or guanciale)
- 1 onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 shallots (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (washed and finely chopped)
- 500 g fresh green asparagus ((17oz))
- 250 g fresh peas ((9oz) or 150g frozen (6oz))
- 1 handful fresh herbs ( rosemary, sage, marjoram)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1/2 glass white wine
- 1-2 tbsp tomato concentrate (paste)
- 1 cup beef or chicken stock
- salt (for pasta and to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Parmigiano or Grana cheese (grated (as required))
Instructions
- 1
Wash the asparagus and remove the hard end of the stalk. You can do this by gently bending the asparagus and it should break naturally in the right place. Using kitchen string tie the asparagus into bundles of about 8. If using fresh peas shell them.
- 2
Coarsely cut the meats and the lardo into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the onion and shallots. Wash and finely chop the carrot. Wash and chop the herbs. Leave the bay leaves whole.
- 3
Fry the onion, carrot and shallots with the lardo in a little olive oil until everything starts to soften and the lardo starts to melt. Then add the coarsely cut meats, raise the heat and sauté over a high heat until the meat has started to brown.
- 4
Add the chopped herbs, bay leaves, grated nutmeg and sprinkle with a generous splash of wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the tomato paste. If using fresh peas add them now. Mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to a simmer.
- 5
From time to time, pour in small amounts of boiling broth and stir. Let the sauce cook until the meat is soft, about 15-20 minutes. If using frozen peas add them 5 minutes before the end. When the sauce is ready remove the bay leaves.
- 6
Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil
- 7
Cook the asparagus in the boiling pasta water. Remove when cooked (about 5-10 minutes) then add the pasta to the same water and cook al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
- 8
Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce. Serve immediately with whole asparagus or cut the asparagus and mix the pieces into the sauce and pasta. Serve with grated Parmigiano or grana if required.