Rachael Ray's Big Boy Bolognese

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb pancetta, cut into small dice
• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 onion, cut into small dice
• 1 carrot, cut into small dice
• 2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped (a couple of sprigs)
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup whole milk or cream
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for garnish
• flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish (a couple handfuls)

Directions

1. 1

   In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and the fat is rendered, 3-4 minutes. Add the sirloin and pork to the pot and brown for 12-15 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 8-10 minutes more.

2. 2

   Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram or oregano. Stir in the tomato paste for a minute or so, then add the wine and scrape up all the drippings. Reduce the wine by half, 2-3 minutes, then stir in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and thicken the sauce for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the milk or cream and simmer while the water for the pasta comes to a boil and the pasta cooks.

3. 3

   When you're ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, then cook the pasta to al dente. Heads up: just before draining reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking water.

4. 4

   Drain the pasta and toss it back into the pot it was cooked in, along with the reserved cooking water, about a cup of grated cheese and a couple of handfuls of chopped parsley. Add half the pasta sauce and toss well to coat.

5. 5

   Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, topped with additional sauce. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.