Ingredients:
If you can't find meatloaf mix, use 6 ounces (85 percent lean) ground beef and 6 ounces ground pork.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced carrot
2 tablespoons minced celery
12 ounces meatloaf mix
Salt and pepper
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, tomatoes chopped fine
1 pound fettuccine or linguine
Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in meatloaf mix and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in milk, bring to simmer, and cook until milk evaporates and only rendered fat remains, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in wine, bring to simmer, and cook until wine evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes and reserved tomato juice and bring to 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. Season with salt to taste. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
extra Instructions:
1. Saute the aromatics in butter: Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a Dutch oven and cook the finely chopped onion and minced carrot and celery until softened.
2. Add the meatloaf mix: Stir in 12 ounces meatloaf mix and salt and cook, breaking up the meat until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the milk and simmer: Add 1 cup whole milk and simmer until it evaporates and only the rendered fat remains, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the wine and simmer: Add 1 cup dry white wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook 3 hours: Drain 1 can of whole tomatoes, then chop the tomatoes and add them and the reserved juice to the pot. Simmer the mixture over low heat until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours.
6. Finish with butter and pasta cooking water: Add 2 tablespoons butter to the cooked pasta along with the sauce, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add pasta cooking water as needed to adjust the consistency.