QUICK AND EASY PEASY BOLOGNESE SAUCE with fetuccine

Bolognese sauce (or ragu alla Bolognese), is a classic Italian meat sauce that originated in the city of Bologna, the capital of the Emilia–Romagna region in Northern Italy.  Bologna is a beautiful university town with a long and impressive cultural history. 

A classic Bolognese contains milk or cream and some type of cured meat such as pancetta. I have chosen to omit the cured meat from my sauce recipe. However, adding a little milk or cream makes the sauce velvety.

An interesting fact is that the city of Bologna has created a standardised recipe for "ragu alla Bolognese." That recipe has been deposited for safekeeping with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. My recipe for Bolognese sauce is deposited in a drawer in my kitchen. Which of the two recipes is more important?  

This easy to make recipe will yield a dense, silky, multi-dimensional sauce. If there are any leftovers, they can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 1 month.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 large red onion, grated 
• 3 stalks celery, chopped fine
• 2 carrots, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 ripe tomatoes, skins removed, chopped
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• red wine, amount according to taste

• For the pasta:

• 1 pound pasta; fettuccine is a good option because this is a hearty sauce that needs a hearty pasta
• chopped parsley and basil
• grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• black pepper

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the onions, carrots and celery.
• Sauté until the vegetables are soft. Keep stirring and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute.
• Add the ground beef and cook, stirring to mix with the vegetables. Keep stirring and cook until all the meat is no longer pink. 
• Season with salt and pepper and mix. 
• Add the oregano, mix, and cook for about a minute
• Add the tomato paste and mix well.
• Add the wine, lower the heat and cook until the sauce is reduced 
• Add the tomatoes and bay leaf.
• Mix, keep the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally so that the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Turn off the heat and add the whole milk
• Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. 
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. 
• Drain and place on a serving platter. 
• Season with Pecorino Romano cheese, chopped parsley, black pepper and basil.
• Spoon some of the sauce on top and mix. 
• Serve the sauce alongside the pasta.