Rachael Ray’s Christmas Pasta

[ingredients-list title=”Ingredients” serving_size=””]
[ingredients-left]

• 1/4 pound pancetta, thick cut, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork, ask at deli counter)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
• 1 pound combined ground beef, pork and veal
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup good-quality dry red wine

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[ingredients-right]

• 1 cup prepared beef stock, paper container or canned
• 2 (32-ounce) cans chunky style crushed tomatoes
• Handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon (a couple of pinches) allspice or cinnamon
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• 2 pounds penne rigate, cooked al dente
• Grated Pecorino Romano, as an accompaniment
• Fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

[/ingredients-right]
[/ingredients-list]

[step-list-wrapper title=”How to make it” time=””]
[step-item number=”1″ image_url=”” title=”” ]Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and brown to render the fat. Transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. To the pan add the oil and the meats;  brown and crumble them for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pancetta bits.[/step-item]

[step-item number=”2″ image_url=”” title=”” ]Chop carrot, celery, and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes and add wine. Cook for 1 minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.[/step-item]

[step-item number=”3″ image_url=”” title=”” ]Stir in parsley, allspice, or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, minimum, before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.[/step-item]

[step-item number=”4″ image_url=”” title=”” ]Toss pasta (cook off only as much pasta as you need at the time: half a pound for every 3 people) with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.[/step-item] [/step-list-wrapper]

Originally Published in Reader's Digest