Slow-Simmered Meat Sauce Pasta

Finely dice 120g onion, 80g carrot, and 70g celery into pieces no larger than 3mm.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely soft and fragrant. This soffritto forms the flavor base of the entire ragu.

Add 500g ground beef and increase to high heat.

Break it into fine crumbles with a wooden spoon, cooking for 7-9 minutes until all the moisture has evaporated and the meat begins to stick slightly to the pot bottom, ensuring every surface is evenly browned for maximum depth of flavor.

Pour in 120ml red wine and scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon while reducing over high heat for 2-3 minutes, until the raw alcohol smell fades and the wine color deepens.

Stir in 400g tomato puree, 80ml milk, 1 bay leaf, 1.5 teaspoons salt, and 0.5 teaspoon pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest heat, half-cover with the lid, and simmer for 80 minutes. The milk neutralizes the acidity and adds a silkier texture to the sauce.

Stir every 10-15 minutes to prevent scorching on the bottom, adding 50ml water at a time if the sauce reduces too quickly.

After 80 minutes, the sauce should be thick enough that a line drawn through it with a spoon closes slowly.

Boil 320g tagliatelle 1 minute less than the package time, reserve 150ml of pasta water before draining.

Add the drained pasta and 50ml pasta water to the ragu pot, toss over high heat for 1 minute until the sauce coats every strand evenly, then serve.