Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce

Delicious dinner.

Tonight we had Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. It had been way too long, and I was craving that rich, comforting flavor. I pulled out one of my go-to cookbooks, Lidia's Italian American Kitchen, and made her classic recipe. 

Ingredients-

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 med yellow onion, minced

1 med carrot, peeled and finely shredded

1/2 cup minced celery with leaves

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1 lb ground veal

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups crushed tomatoes

4 dried bay leaves

Fresh ground pepper

Method-

Heat the olive oil in a wide, 3 to 4-quart pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. 

Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery, season them lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent. 

Crumble in the ground beef and pork and continue cooking, stirring to break up the meat, until all the liquid the meat has given off has evaporated and the meat is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. 

Pour in the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the wine is evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes, then pour in the tomatoes, toss in the bay leaves, and season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is dense but juicy and a rich, dark red color. 

This will take about 2 to 3 hours—the longer you cook it, the better it will become. 

While the sauce is cooking, add hot water as necessary to keep the meats and vegetables covered. (Most likely, a noticeable layer of oil will float to the top toward the end of cooking. 

Once finished, the oil can be removed with a spoon or reincorporated in the sauce, which is what is traditionally done.