Ingredients

The following ingredients have 9 Servings
  • 4 ounces diced pancetta (or diced bacon)
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 large carrot, finely diced
  • 1 large rib celery, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 anchovy filets, roughly chopped*
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage*
  • 1 cup dry red or white wine
  • 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano whole tomatoes, hand-crushed*
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme and/or rosemary
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1 cup whole milk*
  • fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instruction

  • Add the pancetta to a large stockpot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly crispy.  There should be about 1 to 2 tablespoons of grease that has rendered in the stockpot, but if not, add in a drizzle of olive oil to supplement.
  • Add the onion, carrot and celery to the stockpot and stir to combine.  Sauté for about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened.  Add the garlic, anchovy filets and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine.  Sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
  • Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and toss to combine with the veggies.  Cook until the meat is completely browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks and flipping it only occasionally so that it can get a bit browned and crispy on the bottom.
  • Add the wine and use the wooden spoon to thoroughly scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom or sides of the pan.
  • Add the San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and stir to thoroughly combine.  Continue cooking until the sauce just barely reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to low, cover the stockpot with a lid, and simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.  (I recommend at least a 2-hour simmer for optimum flavor.)  Be sure to check on the sauce and give it a stir every 30 minutes or so to be sure that the bottom does not burn.
  • Remove and discard the thyme/rosemary sprigs and bay leaf.  Add the milk and stir until combined.  Give the sauce a taste and season with however much additional salt and pepper you believe it needs.  (I typically add in at least a few teaspoons of salt and some generous cracks of black pepper.)  If the sauce seems too thick, you can add in a bit of water (starchy pasta* water works best) to thin it out.
  • Serve warm with pasta, gnocchi, roasted eggplant, or whatever sounds good (see notes below) and garnish with lots and lots of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!