Serves 4
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
70g pancetta, finely diced
3 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt, fresh ground black pepper
250g each veal and pork mince
6 sprigs thyme
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ cups red wine
1 x 400g tin chopped tomato
1 cup beef stock
500g elicoidali or rigatoni
¼ cup flat parsley, finely chopped
Parmesan and olive oil, to serve
Method
Heat a large, wide saucepan over a medium/high heat.
Add the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, pancetta, garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Adjust the heat to high and add meat. Adjust the seasoning with a little more salt and pepper. Cook for about another 5 minutes until the mince is all broken up and browns.
Add the thyme, cinnamon and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook to evaporate, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer over a low heat for 1 ½ hours, stirring regularly, until the ragu is thick and rich. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, or al dente. Place the ragu pan back on the heat to bubble.
Scoop out 1 cup pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and add to the ragu pan along with enough pasta water to create loose, glossy sauce. Cook, stirring for a minute or so, to intergrate the sauce and pasta.
Stir through the parsley, adjust seasoning and serve with parmesan and drizzled with good quality olive oil.