Pasta Bolognese

​Bolognese holds a special place in our family’s heart. It was a favorite of my brother Kenny, so we make it each year to celebrate his birthday. This particular recipe combines ground beef and pork (I would have added veal if it had been available) with soffritto - the base of finely diced onion, carrot, celery, and tomato. It gets an unexpected twist from Parmesan stock (!) and is served with cellentani pasta, topped with (a ton of) freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Check out the adapted recipe from Food & Wine below. 

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There’s something incredibly soothing about making this recipe. Perhaps it’s the many steps involved—from chopping the vegetables to patiently letting the sauce simmer low and slow to deepen the flavors. The kitchen fills with a savory aroma. I love preparing this meal because it connects me to my brother; the time spent cooking feels like time spent together with him.

I found so many ways to use the remaining sauce: stuffed into acorn squash, wrapped in a corn tortilla, and of course, served with more pasta.
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Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium celery rib, finely diced
2 ounces pancetta, thickly sliced, finely diced (optional, I didn't use this) 
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal (optional, I didn't use this) 
1/4 pound ground pork
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can peeled Italian tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped, juices reserved
1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth (I used Parmesan Stock) 
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional, I didn't use this — mainly because I forgot to add to my cart!)
2 pounds penne rigate (or any pasta) 
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions 
Gather the ingredients  (chop all veggies) 
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery (and pancetta if using), and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Scrape the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.
Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the saucepan and heat until just shimmering. Add the beef, (veal if using) and pork and cook over moderately high heat until just barely pink, about 5 minutes.
Return the vegetable mixture to the saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream and cook the sauce just until heated through.
Meanwhile, boil water and prepare your pasta. 
Serve the pasta and load up on the Parmesan