SPAGHETTI WITH BEEF AND SAUSAGE

This recipe calls for beef shank. Try to find it because the flavor from the beef bones adds a richness to the sauce that ground meats or stew meat just doesn't deliver. Choose your Italian sausage for its heat or sweetness depending on your taste. The sauce cooks for a long time so it is great for a lazy weekend day while the Patriots kick it!!!!!!

Ingredients:

2 lbs Italian sausage casings removed

3-4 lbs beef shank (about 3-4 pieces)

3 large sweet onions chopped

2 (28 oz) San Marzano diced tomatoes

1 bottle good dry red wine

2 tsp toasted fennel seeds

6 tbl olive oil

10 large garlic cloves chopped

4 bay leaves

3 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like)

salt

pepper

1-1/2 lbs spaghetti

parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 2 tbl olive oil in a large stock pot. Add sausage and cook through while chopping it into smaller pieces. Remove it from the pot and set aside. Add remaining olive oil to the pan and add the beef shank and season with salt and pepper. Saute the shanks for about 10 minutes and add to the sausage. Add the onions to the pot and scrape the bits of the meat off the pot. When the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes, add the meats back to the pot.

Add the tomatoes, wine, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, red pepper and fennel seeds and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and move to oven and braise for about 2-3 hours. Transfer the shanks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes and then cut meat off the bones and discard the bones.

Return meat to the sauce and remove fat from the surface of the sauce. Bring to a simmer and reduce liquid and season with salt and pepper.

In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions. drain and add 2-3 tbl olive oil and parmesan cheese. Ladle the sauce over the pasta and serve with extra cheese. This serves about 12 people.

Pasta Pasta Pasta!!!!

ENJOY!