Penne Bolognese

My boyfriend told me once that his favorite dish was a bolognese sauce.  Since I enjoy making dinner for him, and he loves homemade food, I set out to find a good bolognese recipe for him.  So far, this has been a big winner. See the recipe below.

2 ¼ oz butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 ¾ oz pancetta, diced

1 lb 2 oz ground beef

1 tbsp chopped oregano

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups beef stock

2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree

1lb 12 oz canned, crushed tomatoes

14 oz penne

2 garlic cloves

3 tbsp grated parmesan

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until soft.  Add the garlic, celery, and carrot, and cook, stirring, over low heat, for 5 minutes.  Increase the heat to high, add the pancetta, beef, and oregano, and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned.

Add the wine, reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until absorbed.  Add the stock, tomato puree, and tomatoes and season.  Cover with a lid and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.  Uncover and simer for a further 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain and return to pan to keep warm.  Top the pasta with the sauce, serve with the parmesan.