Chef Massimo Mele's Italian heritage has certainly shaped his cooking style and recipes. Try cooking Massimo's pork belly and beef pasta dish with additions of pancetta, tomato, vegetables and parmesan. It's sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Pair this recipe with a glass (or bottle!) of Nebbiolo for a perfect wine pairing.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped pancetta
250g diced pork belly
750g beef shin diced
2 teaspoons salt
1.5kg onions (mix of red and brown), chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2/3 cup white wine
500g good quality dry pasta
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Recipe by Massimo Mele
Photography by Remi Chauvin
1. Pre-heat oven to 150°C.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook pancetta until most of the fat is rendered out, about 6 minutes. Remove cooked pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Raise heat to high and transfer the meat to the pot. Season with salt. Cook and stir until the liquid releases from the meat and begins to evaporate, and meat browns, 10 to 15 minutes
4. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onions, celery, carrot, reserved cooked pancetta, salt and pepper. Cook and stir about 5 minutes. Add a heaped tablespoon of tomato paste, bay leaf, and white wine. Cook and stir, scraping up browned ingredients from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Place lid on and cook for 2 hours in pre-heated oven.
6. Check every 30 minutes. If sauce seems to reduce too much, add water or broth as needed to maintain a sauce-like consistency. Cook until beef and onions seem to melt into each other.
7. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until just barely al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.
8. Add pasta to the sauce and cook until heated through, you may need a little pasta water to finish cooking the pasta.
9. Serve topped with a pinch of marjoram and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Wine Match
Nebbiolo