Rigatoni Bolognese

Preparation

If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the vegetables or even grate them on a box grater. Pulsed together, the vegetables make almost a paste that cooks quickly and releases its water before adding the meat so the flavor of the Bolognese is robust and not thin. Canned tomatoes can vary in acidity and overall flavor so don’t hesitate to season as needed with salt to enhance the flavors of the sauce, or even add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes remain sharp after seasoning. 

1. Add onion, carrot, and celery to the bowl of a standard or mini food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, but not quite a paste. Heat the oil in a 7.5 Litre HexClad Hybrid Stock Pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, until tender and dry, 5 to 7 minutes.  
2. Add garlic and oregano and cook just until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the mince. Season with salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook until browned in spots and mostly cooked through, breaking into large chunks with a wooden spoon or spatula, about 3 minutes. Stir the meat and vegetables together.
3. Add tomato puree and stir well to coat the meat and lightly toast the puree, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by at least half, 1 minute. Add the tins of tomatoes. Rinse out the cans with 250ml water, adding to the pot. Break the tomatoes into chunks with the spoon or spatula, and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaves and parmesan rind, if using). Adjust the heat to maintain a low but steady simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally and smashing the tomato chunks further as they soften, until the sauce is thickened and the flavors have blended, about 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the rigatoni and cook as the label directs for al-dente, stirring occasionally. Reserve 150 ml cooking water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is glossy and well coated, 2 to 3 minutes. If the Bolognese is too thick, add cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, just to moisten the sauce. This may not be necessary. Stir in the grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Spoon into wide shallow bowls and serve with more grated parmesan for topping.