Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s, The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Serves 4-6
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp organic unsalted butter + 1 tbsp for tossing with the pasta
1/2 small yellow or red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 small to medium sized carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 small to medium sized celery ribs, ends trimmed and finely diced
1 lb ground beef OR 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground pork
1 C organic whole milk (this tenderizes the meat)
A pinch of ground nutmeg
1 C dry white or red wine
1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with your hands before adding to the sauce (I usually use Bianco Dinapoli Whole Peeled Tomatoes)
1 lb dried pasta (I like to use rigatoni)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Optional Toppings: Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, basil, or parsley
Instructions
Put the oil and butter in a medium sized pot and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir to coat and cook until the onions have become translucent and the vegetables have started to soften, around 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef (or beef and pork if using both), a generous pinch of sea salt, and some cracked black pepper. Stir well and cook until the meat has lost its pink color. Add the milk and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until all liquid has bubbled away. After the milk has evaporated, add a pinch of nutmeg and stir. Add the wine and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has bubbled away.
Next, add the crushed tomatoes and stir to coat. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 2-3 hours, stirring from time to time. If the sauce starts drying out, add 1/2 C of water. At the end, however, no water should be left. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper. When ready to eat, toss cooked drained pasta with a tbsp of butter and top with a generous scoop of bolognese. If you like, finish with some fresh basil or parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.