Vero's ragù bolognese

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed (about 3 tbsp)
• For the soffritto: 2 celery stalks
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 kg (2.2 lb) coarsely ground meat: beef, with no more than 30% pork
• 400 g (14 oz) tomato purée (passata)
• 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) whole milk
• 250 ml (1 cup) cream
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• To serve: fresh tagliatelle (see Vero's pasta fresca) and grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Method

1. Make the soffritto: chop the carrots, celery and onion very small, about the size of a grain of rice. This mix is the base of the sauce.
2. Sauté the vegetables: warm a good drizzle of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the soffritto and cook, stirring now and then, until golden and slightly crisp at the edges, about 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Brown the meat: turn the heat to high, add the meat and stir hard, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. It will release a lot of liquid; keep going until every drop has evaporated and the meat is dry, sizzling and nicely browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Don't move on until it is.
4. Build the sauce: lower the heat. Add half the cream and let the meat absorb it completely, then half the passata until absorbed, then half the milk until absorbed. Repeat with the rest of the cream, passata and milk, one at a time. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Simmer: cook over the lowest heat for at least 3 hours in all, barely bubbling, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if it catches. It's ready when it is thick, creamy and deep in flavor, and the meat is soft.
6. Serve: toss with just-cooked fresh tagliatelle and a spoon of the pasta water, and pass Parmigiano at the table.