Lunch: Pasta and Easy Italian Meat Sauce

Here is a meaty tomato sauce that doesn't need to cook for a long time to be delicious. The sauce is based on the famed Ragu alla Bolognese (sauce in the style of Bologna). The addition of milk might seem unusual, but it's traditional in northern Italy —

Ingredients

4 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot
1 onion
2 clove garlic
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 can whole tomatoes
1/2 c. milk
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Coarse salt
ground pepper
1 lb. fettuccine
grated Parmesan

Instructions

Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in carrot, onion, and garlic. Add ground beef, and cook until it turns from pink to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and their liquid, crushing them with the back of a large spoon. Stir in milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook fettuccine until al dente according to package instructions, about 12 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking water; drain fettuccine, and return it to the warm pot. Add meat sauce and toss. Add pasta water as needed if the sauce seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan. Looking for more dinner options? Check out our pork chop recipes, chicken recipes, and potato recipes.

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