Waygu Ragu

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb pasta (I used Orecchiette).

• 1/4 lb pancetta, guanciale or bacon

• 1 lb Waygu ground beef (sold at Costco. Regular ground beef would be just as good)

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/8 inch grated nutmeg or 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 4.5 oz tube of double-concentrated tomato paste

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1 1/2 cups red wine

• 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

• chopped basil for garnish

• Parmesan cheese, grated

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic to a large food processor and pulse until finely minced. If you don’t have a food processor, finely mince the vegetables by hand.

2. In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium heat cook pancetta for 3-5 minutes until crispy.

3. Remove pancetta with slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined bowl.

4. Add ground beef and cook until pink is gone. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to bowl with pancetta.

5. Pour fat from Dutch oven into a separate bowl to cool and be disposed of in the trash or compost.

6. Scoop out 2 Tbsp of fat and add it back to the Dutch oven.

7. Cook vegetable mince in fat over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft.

8. Add salt and pepper.

9. Add tomato paste and sugar. Cook until tomato paste starts to brown.

10. Add thyme, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for another few minutes.

11. Add red wine and chicken stock. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

12. In the last 20 minutes of simmering time, bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

13. Boil pasta to according to directions on the box. Al-dente is best.

14. Strain pasta and immediately add to sauce. Stir to combine.

15. Plate pasta and garnish with parmesan and basil.