Ingredients

For the ragù:

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)

• 4 strips bacon, diced small

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 1 carrot, finely diced

• 1 celery stalk, finely diced

• 4 oz mushrooms, finely diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

• ¼ cup tomato paste

• ½ cup red wine or beef stock

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

• 1 lb spaghetti or pappardelle

• Parmesan cheese, grated

• Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Prepare the soffritto:

1. Dice vegetables finely – onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms should be chopped very small for faster cooking.

2. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until mostly crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving drippings in the pan.

Build the base:
3. Sauté vegetables in the bacon fat for 3-5 minutes until onion becomes translucent.
4. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the meat:
5. Add ground beef and Italian seasoning to the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon until no pink remains.
6. Drain excess fat if necessary.

Add liquids and simmer:
7. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to develop flavor.
8. Add red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
9. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
10. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld.

Cook the pasta:
11. Boil spaghetti in well-salted water according to package directions until al dente.
12. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.

Finish and serve:
13. Remove bay leaf from the ragù and season with salt and pepper.
14. Toss pasta with the ragù, adding reserved pasta water if needed to achieve desired consistency.
15. Garnish with fresh parsley, reserved bacon, and abundant Parmesan cheese.

Pro Tips

• Dice vegetables uniformly small – this ensures they cook quickly and integrate seamlessly into the sauce

• Don’t skip the wine – it adds crucial depth and helps deglaze the pan for maximum flavor

• Let it simmer – even though this is a quick version, the 15-20 minute simmer time allows flavors to develop properly

• Save some pasta water – its starch helps bind the sauce to the pasta perfectly

• Make it ahead – this ragù actually improves overnight and reheats beautifully