Classic Southern Italian Ragú

Baronessa Cecilia Baratta Belleli teaches cooking class guests how to make ragú in her farmhouse kitchen in Paestum.

Extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 small shallot
4 Italian sausages
1 small pork shoulder with skin
One 28-oz. can whole peeled or crushed tomatoes
Turkish oregano or wild Calabrian oregano

Cover the bottom of your pot with a quarter of an inch of olive oil. Smash the garlic, dice the shallot and add them to the pot, cooking very slowly on a low flame until they soften.

Meanwhile, lightly brown the sausage and pork shoulder in a separate pan.

Once the garlic is fragrant and glistening, add the crushed tomatoes. Stir slowly and add a generous pinch of oregano. Once warm, add the sausage and turn flame down as low as possible. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When the sauce is bubbling with ribbons of oil forming at the top, remove from heat. Remove the meat and add cooked pasta. Serve the meat as a second course.