A rich and hearty pasta dish featuring slow-cooked speck, salami, and mushrooms in a flavorful homemade tomato sauce.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C. Score a cross into the top of each tomato and slice the garlic bulb horizontally. Place everything in a deep-dish oven tray and drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast it in the oven for 45 minutes or until tomato skins are peeling off.
Once finished roasting, set aside the garlic and peel all the tomatoes, discarding the skins. Puree tomatoes in blender along with all the juices from the baking tray until smooth. Set aside.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-based cast iron pot. Add salami and fry until golden brown, for about 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Remove salami, place in a bowl, and then add and fry the speck until golden brown, for about 3-4 minutes. Add speck to salami. Increase heat to medium-high
Add butter and melt until it starts foaming, then add the mushrooms and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pot and place into the bowl with the salami and speck. Lower heat to medium.
Let oil cool slightly and then add the shallots, onion, minced garlic, a pinch of salt and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is translucent and soft.
Add the chillies, basil, and oregano and cook for a further minute, ensuring everything is evenly distributed. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Add the flour, mixing it through to coat everything, and then pour in the red wine to deglaze the base of the pan. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the beef stock, white sugar and tomato puree, mixing everything together. Toss in the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and tarragon, salt and pepper, and mix through. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and then cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Add salami, speck and mushrooms to the pot then mix and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. Once finished, salt and pepper to taste.
If using store-bought pasta, cook according to packet directions, ensuring that the pasta finishes at the same time as the sauce. Reserve 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water.
Add pasta to the sauce along with 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water, Mix through until the sauce is covering the pasta and the meat and mushrooms are nicely incorporated.
Serve with finely chopped parsley on top (optional) and a side salad of leafy greens with your favorite dressing.
For a richer flavor, use homemade beef stock. This elevates the dish and makes for a richer mouthfeel. Otherwise, store-bought is fine.
Feel free to use your favorite type of pasta. (I use rigatoni or penne)
Add the chillies! Despite what you may think about chillies making it spicy the small amount of chili in this recipe only enhances the tomato flavor.
Using a whole garlic bulb may seem like a lot, but don't worry! It ends up tasting fine because of the roasting process (Garlic Confit)
The small amount of sugar added is to help balance the acidity that you get from the tomato puree. The result will not taste sweet but will taste more balanced.
Can I use different types of meat?
Yes, you can substitute salami and speck with other meats like pancetta or bacon.
What type of pasta works best?
Any pasta works well, but pastas like rigatoni or penne is recommended.
Can I prepare this dish in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the sauce in advance and reheat it when ready to serve. Cook the pasta on the day.
How do I store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Do I need to use all the herbs?
No, but they do really increase the quality of your dish. If some herbs such as Tarragon and Oregano are unavailable that's fine but make sure you have everything else.
Is there a vegetarian option?
Yes, to make it vegetarian, substitute the speck and salami for chopped, roasted eggplant and sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Add into the pot in step 7. Substitute the beef stock for vegetable stock. This will result in a different flavor and texture.
