Nonno’s Bolognese Sauce

Makes enough for 12-16 entrée portions

¼ pound prosciutto 1 cup chopped carrot 1 cup chopped onion ¼ cup chopped garlic ½ cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons extra virgin

olive oil 2¼ pounds ground beef 1 pound ground pork 3 tablespoons red wine

vinegar 1 cup good red wine ¾ cup tomato paste 1½ quarts whole milk ½ quart heavy cream 1 cup grated Parmesan

cheese Salt, to taste Chopped parsley, to taste Red chile flakes, to taste

Butter, to taste More Parmesan, to taste

Instructions: Using a food processor, pulse prosciutto until it is ground. Remove and set aside. Place carrot, onion, garlic and celery in the bowl of the processor and pulse until the vegetables are a fine chop.

Add olive oil to a large, heavy bottomed pot and place on medium heat. When oil is hot add the chopped vegetable mixture. Gently sweat vegetables until they are soft and onions are translucent, this can take up to 15-20 minutes.

Push the vegetable mixture to form a ring on the sides of the pan. Turn up your heat, and add ground beef and pork to the center of your ring. Brown meat and break it up using a wooden spoon. Once you have formed some color on the meat, mix in the ring of vegetables.

Next add tomato paste and chile flakes if using. Mix everything together and cook the tomato, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with vinegar and cook until the pan is dry again.

Add wine and cook until the wine is reduced and syrupy, stirring the mixture as it cooks. Add the milk and turn the heat to low and continue to cook, covered, on the stove top, or transfer pot (with lid) to the oven set at 250 degrees.

Cook for at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally (at Nobie’s the sauce is cooked in the oven overnight with the addition of a hunk of Parmesan rind).

Once the sauce is soft and homogenous, add cream and Parmesan cheese, stir well and keep on low until ready to use.

At this point the sauce is done and can be cooled and portioned to freeze in airtight containers.

To complete the dish, cook your favorite pasta shape (about two pounds for half the recipe) to al dente.

Drain pasta, reserving some pasta water. Combine pasta and sauce in a large pan. Toss gently, adding some of the reserved pasta water to the sauce as necessary along with a tablespoon or two of butter, salt to taste and another pinch of Parmesan to taste.

You’re looking for a sauce that has a nice, thick consistency and coats the pasta well. The pasta should not be dripping in sauce.

Divide pasta into serving bowls and top with chopped parsley and more grated Parmesan as desired.