Bolognese Sauce

This is not your typical tomato-laden American-style meat sauce, this is the simple, real meat ragu of northern Italy.

• 1 lb. total of ground beef (ground sirloin is best) and/or pork sausage meat, ground (or 8 oz. pancetta finely chopped)
• 3 c. finely chopped onions
• 1 1/4 c. finely chopped celery
• 2 c. finely chopped carrots
• 5 fl. oz. olive oil
• 3 1/2 lbs. canned chopped tomatoes
• 4 t. tomato paste
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1/2 c. milk or half-and-half
• 1 pound dried pasta such as pappardelle, cooked al dente’
• Parmigiano-Reggianno cheese, for garnish

Brown meat and onions.  Cook vegetables for 12 minutes.   Add all seasonings and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Cook pasta per directions.  Drain and stir back in 1 T. olive oil and 1 T. boiling water from pasta to the pot.  Stir.

Serve with one pound cooked pasta topped with Bolognese and sprinkled with parmesan to top.