Ingredients

1 lb. ground organic turkey (room temperature*)

2 15 oz. cans plum tomatoes

2 15 oz. cans Italian chopped tomatoes

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 medium or 3 small brown onions, peeled and diced

2 sprigs rosemary

1 tsp. fennel seeds

salt and pepper

1 cup red wine

pinch of red pepper flakes

olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Preparation

  1. put a big glug of olive oil in a big sauce pan over medium-low heat
  2. Add carrots, onion, garlic and let cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add red pepper flakes and bashed-up fennel seeds.
  4. Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat, add olive oil and the ground turkey and throw in the rosemary. Really let it get a lovely deep brown on all sides and then add it to the soffritto scraping all of the bits from the pan in.
  5. Season with pepper and fleur de sel (I like one mixed with Herbs de Provence) and stir well.
  6. Add the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a boil and then add one cup of red wine (not one so cheap you wouldn’t drink it, a good wine makes a good sauce!).
  7. Let it boil away for a few minutes. Turm the heat down to low and partially cover the saucepan. Let it blip away slowly and gently for a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring often.

Serve with rigatoni and freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan.

*I read in Giorgio Locatelli’s cookbook that meat sears and browns when you fry it at room temperature, whereas it boils in its own juice when it’s cold.