Marcella Hazan's Bolognese

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp butter, plus 1 tbsp for the pasta
• Half cup onion, chopped
• Two thirds cup celery, chopped
• Two thirds cup carrot, chopped
• Three quarter pound (340 g) beef chuck, ground
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• Whole nutmeg
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1.5 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, with juice
• 1.25 to 1.5 pounds pasta
• Parmesan

Method

1. Cook the onion in the oil and butter until translucent. Add celery and carrot, 2 minutes.
2. Add the beef and cook until no longer red.
3. Add the milk and simmer until it has bubbled away. Grate in a little nutmeg.
4. Add the wine and simmer until evaporated.
5. Add the tomatoes. Bring to the laziest simmer, uncovered, 3 hours or more. Add half a cup of water whenever it dries out.
6. Toss with pasta, 1 tbsp butter and Parmesan.