Ingredients

• 2 cups olive oil
• 2 cups peeled zucchini cut lengthwise and
• into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups carrots chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups peeled red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large Walla Walla Sweet Onion coarsely chopped
• 1 clove Italian garlic coarsely chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 cup fresh basil chopped
• 2 cans Sclafani whole tomatoes strained and coarsely cut, juice set aside
• 2 large eggplants sliced and cut into eight triangles
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1⁄2 cup parmigiano reggiano
• 1⁄2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. chile flakes
• 1⁄2 tsp. sage
• 1⁄2 tsp thyme

Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground beef or Italian bulk sausage
• 3 eggs
• 1⁄2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1⁄2 cup parmegiano reggiano cheese
• 1⁄2 tsp. chile
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp onion powder
• 1 clove Italian garlic, chopped fine
• Mix thoroughly, roll in to 1⁄2 ounce balls and place on oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.

Soup preparation

Heat two cups olive oil on medium to high heat in a large boiling pot, fry eggplant for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove eggplant from oil with a slotted spoon and place in a paper towel-lined strainer and set aside.

Add onions and garlic to hot oil, fry until translucent. Add salt, pepper, chile, sage , thyme, basil and parsley and stir for one minute. Add potatoes, stirring for five minutes. Add carrots, stir another five minutes, then add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add zucchini, tomatoes and tomato juice. Add two cups of beef stock and bring back to boil. Add meatballs and eggplant then add a sprinkling of parmigiano cheese.

1/2 lb each: Ground beef , ground pork, ground lamb or veal (we use lamb)
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes (we prefer the San Marzano)
1 onion, finely diced
3 carrots, finely diced
4 celery stalks, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can tomato paste
1 to 11/2 cup dry white wine, preferably un-oaked
1 cup chopped Pancetta or Bacon
2 tbsp herbs de provence without lavender, freshly ground
(we use a mortar and pestle).
1 to 2 packages of dried long pasta such as linguini
(one package for every four adults)

Salt and pepper to taste
(Note: Salt should be added sparingly until just prior to serving as liquid will reduce and intensify the flavors.)
Fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk or cream

Method:
In a heavy, deep sauce pan (5 to 7 quart) over high heat, brown all meats except pancetta/bacon. To keep meat from sticking we add 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil before adding meat. Make sure that your pan is HOT before adding oil or meat or browning will be an issue. Reduce heat if smoking occurs. Once all meat is evenly browned, remove from pan with slotted or perforated spoon, leaving fat. Remove half to three-quarters of the fat. add bacon/pancetta and brown, reducing heat if smoking occurs. Remove bacon/pancetta once browned. add carrots, celery, onion. DO NOT STIR. The key here is to caramelize your root vegetables so the sweetness comes out and enhances the depth of flavor.

Shake pan every five minutes to see how browning is coming along. Once caramelized add garlic and tomato paste, stir and allow to caramelized. DO NOT BURN GaRlIC. Once tomato paste has caramelize (2 to 3 minutes) add wine to deglaze, being sure to scrape bottom of pan to remove browned bits, aka good stuff. add meat back to pan (not bacon, it is for you to munch on while cooking or add to a salad). Stir. add tomatoes and any juice from cans. Stir. lower heat to low simmer. Stir. add seasoning as necessary, salt, pepper, herbs. DO NOT aDD NUTMEG. Stir. adjust seasoning as necessary, remembering that this needs to simmer for at least onehalf hour and as it sits the taste will intensify, so add salt cautiously. Stir. Just prior to finish add 1/8 tsp (I don’t measure so this is a best guess, add more if you want) fresh nutmeg. add milk. Stir. Boil pasta. When pasta is still slightly undercooked (i.e. crunchy on the inside) remove from water. add pasta, along with one ladle full of pasta water to a large sauté pan. add 2 to 3 ladles of sauce. Over medium heat combine pasta, sauce and pasta water. When pasta is al dente (still slightly firm, but not crunchy on the inside) plate. For a portion you only need 2 to 4 ounces of pasta per person. add one large tablespoon of sauce to each portion. Serve. Enjoy!

The recipe is courtesy of Damon Burke of Salumiere Cesario