2 tablespoons butter or olive oil or a combination
1pound ground beef, pork, or veal or a combination
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pepper
1/2cup white or red wine
2cups finely chopped fresh tomatoes
1/4cup cream (optional)
1pound spaghetti (or any dried pasta of your choice)
1cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it apart with a spoon until it’s brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly, 2 or 3 minutes.
When the meat is browned, add the wine, scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and let it bubble away until it reduces by about half. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they break down and get thick and saucy, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the cream if you’re using it and turn the heat as low as it will go.
When the water boils, add the pasta and stir occasionally. Start tasting after 5 minutes.
When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving some cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add half of the Parmesan and a splash of the cooking water if you want to make it saucier. Toss, taste, and adjust the seasoning, and serve with the remaining cheese on top.