Spaghetti Bolognese

Build the Soffritto

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers.

Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery to the pot.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 8–10 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until fragrant.

Brown the Meat

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and ground pork to the pot.

Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon into small crumbles.

Cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes to let the meat develop some color, then stir and continue cooking until no pink remains, about 5–6 minutes total.

Season the meat with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Push the meat to the sides of the pot and add the tomato paste to the center.

Cook the tomato paste, stirring it in the center of the pot, for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly to a brick-red color.

Deglaze with Wine

Pour in the red wine and stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Let the wine simmer and reduce until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Simmer the Sauce

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.

Add the dried oregano, dried thyme, and bay leaf, and stir to incorporate.

Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Place the lid slightly ajar on the pot and simmer, stirring every 15–20 minutes, for 60 minutes.

After 60 minutes, stir in the whole milk and continue simmering uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf, then taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Cook the Pasta

While the sauce finishes, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat.

Add a generous handful of kosher salt to the boiling water — it should taste like mild seawater.

Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente (firm to the bite), about 8–10 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining.

Drain the spaghetti through a colander.

Combine and Serve

Add the drained spaghetti directly into the pot of Bolognese sauce.

Toss everything together over low heat for 1–2 minutes, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water if the sauce feels too thick.

Divide the spaghetti Bolognese among bowls and top each serving with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a few fresh basil leaves.