Remember the commercial “Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day”?! Well, we never used that brand when I was a kid; in fact, I never had it as an adult either. Last Wednesday was our Pappardelle Day, the best cut I enjoyed when I was in Italy years ago. The sauce really sticks to it nice, especially when it’s fresh pasta.

I made sort of a hybrid dish with it—which may actually have a real name, I’m not sure—but it took elements of a few different familiar recipes with a couple of my own touches. I know a lot of the by-the-book purists cannot call something a specific name unless it follows the ingredients to a T. Many get fired up when a “Bolognese” sauce may lack (or have an added) item, therefore they insist you only title it as “meat sauce.”

Anyway, I’m sure you’ve heard of “Pasta & Peas” (Pasta e Piselli) and Bolognese…well this is my take on the two merging together where basically the celery in the Bolognese recipe is peas. I used imported Filotea Pappardelle pasta and called the whole thing “Pappardelle e Piselli Alla Bolognese” or “Pasta, Peas & Meat Sauce.” Is it a gravy though? No, we aren’t having this debate again but technically it can be…however since it’s only cooked in under an hour and in a shallow pan as opposed to a deep pot, I tend to call this one a sauce. Heck, this can be looked at as a stew or giambotta for all I care, the main point is, it’s DELICIOUS. Rich, thick and hearty, perfect for a 90 degree summer day!

Ok so the first thing you are going to do is sauté a whole yellow onion in a little butter until it is soft—not totally caramelized but about halfway there. Then hit it with a touch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Next, add in about a cup of sweet peas and a cup of diced carrots and let them also get aldente along with the onions, which, by the time the carrots and peas are soft, the onions will be even more soft and will reduce by about half. Remove the vegetable medley and set aside.

Then add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and get it real hot and once hot, add in ½ pound of veal and ½ pound of pork along with some finely diced garlic. You can also use ground beef and/or crumbled sausage and I suppose ground turkey but it’s not going to be the same. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat fully and then add the vegetables back in and stir everything all together.

The tomatoes jump into the pool now. We’re going to use one 28 oz. can of crushed San Marzanos and one 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes for added texture. Pour them in, followed by about 2 cups of good red wine, a can of chicken broth and a few bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a low flame. At this point, we are going to add in some finely chopped thyme, finely chopped basil, 3 whole basil leaves, 4 whole garlic cloves, a dash of nutmeg, ½ half cup of milk or cream, a handful of grated Pecorino-Romano cheese and one small fresh mozzarella ball which has been torn up and incorporated throughout. (You can also add in a tablespoon of flour to thicken it up faster if you wish.) If you wanna let this cook for hours like a Sunday gravy, feel free to toss in a prosciutto rind or even some neckbones or chicken drumsticks.

Allow everything to simmer for another 40 minutes or so, stirring from time to time and then we are ready to eat! This goes great inside hollowed out roasted bell peppers with rice, or even served on a bed of rice. But the way I had it is my favorite—on a wide, flat noodle—one of my favorites which is pappardelle. Hmm…maybe I should just call this dish “Pappa Johnny’s Special.” Just like with every recipe I post, I encourage you to make it your own. So whatever you add or subtract or call it is totally your choice. Just as long as you use fresh ingredients and add the ingredient of love. That’s really all that matters in the kitchen.

When serving, top the finished product with grated cheese and/or ricotta salata.

To make this sauce into an Italian style chili, simply use one can of beans in place of the peas in the recipe, add in 1 can of tomato paste (acts as ketchup) and a handful of red chili flakes for a kick.