Hearty and rich, spicy and sweet. This sugo is truly special- inspired by the sauce that Aj’s grandma used to leave simmering on the stove all day on Sundays. Aj made some fresh spaghetti noodles from scratch with an antique brass pasta extruder, but if you don’t have one of those handy, serve over your favorite noodles. Just keep them a little bit al dente.
serves 4-6
Spicy Oxtail Sugo with Fresh Pasta
5 lbs of Oxtail, seasoned the night before
1 head of garlic, minced
1 sprig of rosemary
2 cans (medium) diced tomato
2 oz tomato paste
3 each diced chilis
3 each bay leaf
1 ounce of oregeno
TT salt, kosher
TT black pepper, freshly ground
extra virgin olive oil
3 cup red wine, chianti
Season oxtail the night before with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a large stock pot, sear all sides of oxtail over med-high heat until deep golden brown. Remove from the pan and reserve fat. In the same stock pot, saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent. Add herbs and chilis and cook for one minute.
Add tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the pot smells very sweet and a little fond begins to form at the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with red wine and cook for 3 minutes. Return the oxtail to the pot and cover with diced tomatoes. Place in the oven and cook for 3-4 hours uncovered. Let cool for at least 45 minutes or overnight before serving. Serve over spaghetti or bucatini noodles.
