Author Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by America's Test Kitchen
Equipment
Large Dutch oven
Large pot
Ingredients
5tbspbutterdivided
2tbspsweet yellow onionminced
2tbspcarrotminced
2tbspceleryminced
½lbground beef85/15 (or 80/20 if you can)
¼lbground pork80/20
½tspsalt
Pinchof crushed red pepper flakesto taste
1cloveof garlicminced
1cupmilk
1cupdry white wine
128 oz can of whole tomatoes, diced
1poundrigatonicooked al dente, per package instructions
Parmesangrated
Instructions
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery then cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the ground beef and ground pork then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; crumble the meat into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon.
Cook, continuing to crumble the meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not browned, about 3 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
Add the milk and simmer, stirring often, until the milk evaporates and only rendered fat remains, about 15 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer, stirring often, until the wine evaporates, about 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours.
Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of salted boiling water, per package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
Add the cooked/drained pasta to the sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; toss to coat evenly.
Adjust the consistency of the sauce with some of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed.
Serve immediately with parmesan on the side. Enjoy!