Not all Italian dishes are made with a red tomato sauce. This is one that isn't and is a delicious one that can be made and on your table in less than an hour. Serve it with a great salad and perhaps garlic toast.
extra virgin oil
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. mild Italian pork sausage meat, removed from casings
1 lb. ground beef (NOT lean)
1 1/2 c. dry Italian white wine
1 beef bouillon cube, dissolved in 2 c. simmering water
1 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 3 c. lukewarm water
1/3 c. heavy cream
1 lb. rigatoni
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large, deep saute pan; place over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, carrots and celery; saute until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces; brown well.
Pour in wine, keeping at a rapid simmer until pan is almost dry; pour in 1 1/2 c. beef bouillon; lower heat to medium; simmer gently, uncovered, until bouillon is nearly gone, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, chop rehydrated porcini into small pieces, reserving the liquid.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
Add about 1 c. mushroom liquid to the sauce to cover the meat halfway, along with the porcini; continue simmering until sauce is loose but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, making it highly seasoned. When consistency is right, fold cream in. Remove from heat; cover.
When pasta water is at a full boil, add rigatoni; cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. When pasta is almost done, scoop out 1 c. pasta water; set aside to reserve. Drain pasta; return it to the pot. Pour pasta sauce on top; fold in with a wooden spoon. The pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water or mushroom liquid to loosen it. It will continue to soak up sauce for a little bit.
Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
4 servings.