Directions:
1. Process the carrots, onions, celery until pureed -- reserve. If you chop the veggies first, they will puree more easily -- no celery strings or chunks!
2. Put the meat in a large stock pot and cook on medium heat stirring constantly. It is important to stir so you break up the meat as you do not want lumps. Do this until the meat is broken up and light brown. Drain the meat to remove fat and liquid--discard liquid.
3. In a stock pot with a thick bottom (this will help the sauce not to burn), melt the butter (not brown), add:
the oil,
the bay leaf and
the vegetable mixture.
Saute the mixture at medium heat until translucent -- DO NOT BROWN.
Add the meat and wine and simmer until the wine is reduced by about half.
4. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the tomato and stock and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally. You do not want this mixture to stick to the bottom of the pot (that is why I suggest a good stock pot with a thick bottom).
Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours until the sauce is thick.
Add more stock or water while it is cooking if it appears to get too thick.
Skim the fat off the top as it collects.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
You can also add a dash of nutmeg if you like.
5. To serve, I like De Cecco fusilli, as it hold the sauce well. Any shape of pasta is fine -- please no Barilla! Cook pasta according to directions in salted water. Drain pasta in a colander over your serving bowl. This will heat the bowl. When the pasta is drained, add a ladle or two of hot sauce to the empty bowl along with a few tbs. of heavy cream (or half and half). Toss with the pasta and grated reggiano parmigiana. You can either add more sauce or put a ladle full over the pasta in individual serving bowls/dishes.
6. The remaining sauce can be frozen in Ziploc bags.
