Rigatoni with Bolognese Sauce

Rigatoni with Bolognese Sauce

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

¾ pound North 36 Farms ground beef

4 oz prosciutto ham, finely diced

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups quartered, medium mushrooms

2 Tablespoons minced onion

2 Tablespoons minced carrot

2 Tablespoons minced celery

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Acme for North 36 Farms STK Blend

1 cup whole milk

1 cup dry white wine

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, packed in juice, chopped fine with juice reserved

Fresh basil sprigs torn in 1” pieces

1 pound dry Rigatoni noodles

Method:

1. Heat butter in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium heat. Add prosciutto, mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery and sauté until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add ground beef, garlic and STK Blend seasoning. While the meat is cooking, continue to stir and break up the meat into crumbles.
2. Just as the meat loses its raw color, but has not yet browned, 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. You want the sauce to simmer slowly so that just an occasional bubble or 2 comes to the surface. Continue this until the liquid has evaporated, about an hour.
3. About halfway through this final reduction, put on the stove a large pot with 4 quarts of water to cook the pasta. Add 2 Tablespoons of salt to the water (Celtic Grey & Acme for North 36 Farms Superior Salt Mix are 2 good options.) Once the water is boiling add in the dry Rigatoni pasta, stirring often. When the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the cooking pot. It is ok to have a little of the pasta water with the pasta in the pot. Add about 2 Tablespoons of butter to the cooked pasta and gently stir. Set aside until the sauce has finished reducing.
4. Once the pasta is finished, taste the Bolognese sauce, and add Acme for North 36 Farms Superior Salt Mix if needed.
5. Once the sauce has finished its last reduction and is naturally thicker, add in the pasta, and gently stir to coat the pasta. Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese and the torn basil leaves.