Fettuccine with Bolognese Sauce
Serves 4 
Don’t drain the pasta of its cooking water too meticulously when using this sauce; a little water left clinging to the noodles will help distribute the very thick sauce evenly over the noodles, as will the addition of 2 tablespoons of butter along with the sauce. If doubling this recipe, increase the simmering times for the milk and the wine to 30 minutes each, and increase the simmering time once the tomatoes are added to 4 hours. 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons minced carrot
2 tablespoons minced celery
3/4 pound meatloaf mix or 1/4 pound each ground beef chuck, ground veal, and ground pork
Salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
1 pound fresh or dried fettuccine
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add ground meat and 1/2 teaspoon salt; crumble meat into tiny pieces with edge of wooden spoon. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes. 

2. Add milk and bring to a simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with occasional bubble or two at surface, until liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours (if lowest burner setting is too high to allow very low simmer, use flame tamer—see right). Adjust seasonings with salt to taste. Keep sauce warm. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days or frozen for several months. Warm over low heat before serving.)

3. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta, leaving some water dripping from noodles. Toss with sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Distribute among individual bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

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Fettuccine with Beef Bolognese Sauce
There is something very appealing about the simplicity of an all-beef sauce. While it may lack some of the finesse and sweetness of the master recipe, its pure beef flavor is uniquely satisfying.

Follow recipe for Fettuccine with Bolognese Sauce, substituting ¾ pound ground beef chuck for meatloaf mix.

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Fettuccine with Beef, Pancetta, and Red Wine Bolognese Sauce 
All ground beef (rather than meatloaf mix) works best with the pancetta in this sauce. If you can’t find pancetta, use prosciutto, but don’t use American bacon, which is smoked and will overwhelm the beef. We found that red wine stands up to the more robust flavors in this sauce better than white wine. 

Follow recipe for Fettuccine with Bolognese Sauce, adding 2 ounces minced pancetta to butter along with vegetables, substituting ¾ pound ground beef chuck for meatloaf mix, and substituting an equal amount of red wine for white wine.