Sauces for Pasta and Polenta

Stories of Italian grandmothers simmering their tomato sauces for hours are familiar but probably untrue. Tomatoes that are cooked for too long lose their sweetness, and the resulting sauce tastes old and tired. Most likely those beloved nonne were actually cooking a ragù or sugo, that is, a meat sauce, which may or may not have included tomatoes.

Meat sauces generally call for beef, veal, pork, or a combination, although lamb, rabbit, or duck is common in some Italian regions. Sometimes sausage or chicken giblets are also included for extra richness, and although tomatoes enter the picture, they are typically in the form of pelati (canned plum or San Marzano tomatoes), tomato purée, tomato paste, or tomato sauce. Broth along with red or white wine might be added for liquid and taste, while dried porcini often contribute an earthy flavor.