The recipe comes from Darrell Corti of the Sacramento gourmet grocery Corti Bros. The recipe is Darrell’s grandmother’s and appeared in Saveur in 2001. This recipe is a testament to the adage that good things take time. Although the ingredients couldn’t be more simple, the slow cooking at various stages deeply enhances the flavors. First dried porcini mushrooms are soaked in water to rehydrate them. Then “minced” onions are slowly cooked in olive oil until they begin to caramelize and turn a rich golden color. Then carrots are added, cooked for a while, then celery, and finally garlic and herbs. After the wine, tomato sauce, mushroom soaking water and mushrooms are added, the sauce still cooks for another hour and a half. The sauce is so good I just want to eat it straight with a spoon! (And I will if it’s anywhere in reaching distance). It shines over polenta, ravioli, or a short pasta like penne or fusilli. Recipe published with permission of Darrell Corti. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn a deep golden color, about 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust the heat lower if necessary to keep the onions from drying out. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the vegetables in the pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Add ground black pepper to taste. Cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Discard the bay leaf. Serve over polenta or toss with ravioli or other pasta.
