Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 ounce pancetta, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrot, diced
• 2 celery, diced
• 3 garlic, minced
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 ounce San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound egg tagliatelle pasta
• 0.25 cup fresh basil
• 2 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Steps

1. Dice the pancetta into small pieces (about 1/4 inch).
2. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into uniform small pieces (about 1/4 inch); set aside.
3. Mince the garlic cloves; set aside.
4. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
5. Add the diced pancetta and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to render and brown slightly.
6. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery (soffritto); stir well and cook for 6 minutes until the vegetables soften and become fragrant.
7. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
8. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon, cooking for 5 minutes over medium-high heat until the meat loses its pink color and begins to brown.
9. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, allowing it to caramelize slightly and darken.
10. Deglaze the pot by pouring in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with your wooden spoon. Cook for 3 minutes to reduce the wine slightly and cook off some alcohol.
11. Pour in the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and grated nutmeg.
12. Reduce heat to low, partially cover the pot with a lid, and simmer gently for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should bubble very gently; adjust heat if needed to maintain a slow simmer.
13. While the ragù simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
14. After the ragù has simmered for 60 minutes, remove the bay leaf and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
15. Meanwhile, add the egg tagliatelle pasta to the boiling salted water and cook according to package directions (typically 3–5 minutes for fresh pasta) until al dente.
16. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
17. Add the drained pasta directly to the ragù pot and toss gently to coat, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to reach a creamy consistency.
18. Taste the ragù and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
19. Divide the ragù and pasta among four serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with torn fresh basil and a generous shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.