Pasta alla Montecarlo, Creamy Meat Sauce

Pasta alla Montecarlo is a good meat sauce made with vegetables, beef and sausage simmered in a tomato sauce with cream and wait for it…pesto! A unique and utterly good and comforting recipe that you've got to try!

Much like Zozzona Pasta alla Montecarlo comes under the recipes that we can't quite believe actually are Italian.

They seem to break all the 'rules' in terms of being simple with uncomplex flavours. This pasta feels like another 'throw everything you have in the fridge' type dinner, yet it works and it's good!

Monte Carlo is in Monaco near the French and Italian border and only a short drive to the region of Liguria famous for basil pesto.

Although it's unclear where this pasta comes from exactly and its origins, it seems to have influence from these surrounding areas; Ligurian pesto, cream-based French sauces, and hearty meat ragus are often found in northern Italy. Plus, if you add in the luxury and decadence that Monte Carlo is famous for, you have it all in this dish.

Ingredient notes

• Basil pesto – We're a bit of a snob when it comes to pesto and never buy store-bought stuff because it doesn't even compare to homemade pesto. You only need 2-3 tablespoons for this dish, but we still make a full batch and keep it in the fridge for other uses like sandwiches and salads.
• Ground beef – We've also seen this dish made with ground veal a lot. We also tested this recipe with veal, and it was good, but since beef is more accessible, we went with that (se whatever one you like).
• Italian sausages – use regular, mild sausages and not spicy/hot ones.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

See our step-by-step photos below to give you a visual representation of the recipe. The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.

Prep – make a batch of basil pesto if using homemade. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well, and finely chop the carrot and onion.

Step 1 – saute the vegetables until nice and soft but not browned (7-8 minutes) (photo 1).

Step 2 – add the sausage (casings removed) and ground beef or veal and saute until browned (photo 2).

Step 3 – Add the white wine and reduce it by half or until you can no longer smell the alcohol. Stir in the tomato paste and cream with a small pinch of salt and pepper and simmer gently on a medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes (photos 3-6).

Step 4 – Turn off the heat and add the pesto with the cooked, al dente pasta. Toss until thoroughly coated in the sauce, then add a generous grating of Parmigiano Reggiano and serve (photos 7 and 8).

Recipe tips

• Best pasta to use – to be honest, most pasta shapes will work with this recipe. We like to use a short pasta shape, such as rigatoni, but penne, orecchiette or even a long shape, such as tagliatelle, will work well.
• Prep in advance – you can make the sauce in advance and store it in the fridge (don't add the pasta). When you're ready to serve, you can reheat it and cook the pasta. You may need to loosen the sauce with a little pasta water.

Similar must-try Italian pasta recipes

Pasta

Pasta alla Zozzona (Roman 'Dirty Pasta')

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Pasta alle Sette P (Seven P's Pasta)

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Malloreddus alla Campidanese (Sardinian Sausage and Saffron Ragu)

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Orecchiette alla Positanese (Sausage, Tomato and Burrata)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 Onion
• 1 Carrot
• 4 Italian Sausages ((about 250g/1/2 lb))
• 1/2 lb (250g) ground beef or veal
• 1 and 1/4 cup heavy cream (double cream UK) ((300ml))
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup (120ml) white wine
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• Parmigiano Reggiano (for serving)
• 1 lb (450g) rigatoni pasta ((or pasta of choice))
• salt and pepper

Method

Prep

1. Although you can use store-bought basil pesto, we recommend making your own. Follow our basil pesto recipe then keep leftovers in the fridge for other uses such as sandwiches and salads.

2. Finely chop the carrot and onion.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.

Make the sauce

1. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and gently sauté the vegetables for around 7-8 minutes until soft but not browned.

2. Next turn up the heat and add the sausages removed from their casings and the ground beef. Saute the meat until browned, if there's a lot of excess moisture, keep cooking until most of it has evaporated.

3. Add the white wine and let it reduce by half or until you can no longer smell a strong alcohol smell.

4. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the cream with a small pinch of salt and pepper and simmer gently on a medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes.

5. 10 minutes before the end, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

6. Turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of pesto along side the cooked al dente pasta. Toss until the pasta is full coated.

7. Finally add a generous grating of Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.

Kitchen notes

• Storage Cream based sauces are always best served immediately but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Reheat it on the stove and use water to loosen it as needed.