Ragù
Potato Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragù
Richard Betts is an avid mushroom forager: "Mushrooms are a great expression of terroir, just like wine is." Using a recipe from Jennifer Biesty, a contestant on Top Chef, he sautes them with garlic to top his plump, intensely potatoey gnocchi.
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Veal Ragù with Porcini
In the relatively brief time it takes for the veal chunks to become fork-tender in a pressure cooker (25 minutes versus 2 hours of conventional cooking), the carrot, onions and sage melt into a heavenly sauce.
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Hearty Lamb Ragù with Rigatoni
It doesn't get more delicious than this pasta dish with lamb ragù.
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Cavatelli with Sparerib Ragù
This hearty ragu, from chef Josh Laurano of Manhattan's La Sirena, features both little riblets and tender chunks of sparerib meat in a rich tomato sauce. Adding pork skin to the sauce makes it extra luscious, perfect with a glass of tangy Tuscan red, like the Fattoria Fibbiano L'Aspetto that sommelier Luke Boland pours at the restaurant.
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Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu
Andrew Carmellini serves fresh pappardelle with a ragu of house-ground lamb shoulder cooked in lamb stock. He finishes the dish with fresh ricotta and chopped mint.
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Chicken Thigh Ragù with Pappardelle
Most ragus require beef, pork or veal--meats that would overwhelm Justin Smillie's light tomato-and-olive sauce here--so he opts for guinea hen or rabbit. Chicken thighs are also tasty and easier to find.
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Mustard Salmon with Cannellini Bean Ragù
These rustic cannellini beans don't cook for very long, but they have a rich, rustic flavor because they're simmered with prosciutto and escarole. Along with the mustard-and-garlic-glazed salmon, it's a great one-dish meal.
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Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Ragù and Hazelnuts
This mushroom-and-herb ragu is extremely versatile; it's as good on rigatoni or cheese ravioli as it is on gnocchi.
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Baked Potatoes with Wild Mushroom Ragù
Grace Parisi likes using a mix of shiitake, oyster, chanterelle and button mushrooms for this succulent ragu to top baked potatoes, but any combination will work.
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Pappardelle with Tangy Veal Ragù
Balsamic vinegar and red wine add a tangy bite to the hearty veal ragu. Have your butcher tie the veal shanks once around the center so they will hold together while browning.
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Rigatoni with Pork Ragù and Fresh Ricotta
This deeply flavored ragu would make a delicious dish just tossed with pasta, but paired with sweet, fresh ricotta, it's outstanding. Sheep's milk ricotta from the countryside outside Rome can be mail-ordered from Buonitalia in New York City's Chelsea Market (212-633-9090).
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Potato Gnocchi with Pastrami Ragù
Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone put a clever twist on their gnocchi recipe by using deli pastrami in the sauce. Feel free to use it on any kind of pasta.