Pasta Bolognese

Yield: 2 cups | Approximately 6 servings 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta
• 1⁄2 cup chopped onion
• 2⁄3 cup chopped celery
• 2⁄3 cup chopped carrot
• 3⁄4 pound ground beef chuck
• Salt
• Black pepper, (fresh ground)
• 1 cup milk (whole preferred)
• Whole nutmeg
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1⁄2 cups imported canned Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with juice
• 1 1⁄4 to 11⁄2 pounds pasta
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table

DIRECTIONS

Step 1

Add olive oil, butter and the chopped onions to your pot over medium heat. Cook & stir the onions until translucent, next add the chopped celery and carrots. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.

Step 2

Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well and cook until the beef has lost its raw/red color.

Step 3

Add milk, let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating --about 1⁄8 teaspoon -- of nutmeg and stir.

Step 4

Add wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 2 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add 1⁄2 cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and add salt as needed.

Step 5

Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side. Enjoy with a glass of hope & grace Wine!