Categories: Ground Beef, Main Dish, Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, peeled
• 1 carrot, scraped
• 1/2 bulb fresh fennel
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 lb ground pork or 1 lb ground beef (or a combination of the two)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes in heavy puree
• 1 1/2 lbs pasta (rigatoni, penne, pappardelle, fettuccine, etc.)
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated

Directions

1. Finely mince the onion, carrot, and fresh fennel.
2. Heat the oil and 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy pan; add in minced vegetables; saute over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and have almost melted into a puree.
3. This can take about 30 minutes and require patience.
4. The vegetables must be soft before proceeding with the recipe.
5. Add in the ground fennel seed and salt; saute for 2 minutes and then add the meat.
6. Increase the heat and saute, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink.
7. Add in the wine and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until almost all the wine has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until they are absorbed into the sauce.
9. Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a big pot.
10. Drop in the pasta and cook until it is still quite firm, 4-5 minutes.
11. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce, toss for 1-2 minutes, until al dente.
12. Cut up the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and add to the pasta; continue to toss until the butter melts and combines with the sauce.
13. Serve immediately; pass the Parmigiano-Reggiano for your guests to grate over their pasta.

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