Bolognese Beef Sauce

This recipe is from one of my favorite cooking shows - Best Recipes Ever. If you prefer you could use ground turkey instead of ground beef. The longer you slow simmer this sauce the better. I used ground turkey and could not detect the difference. I also cut the crushed and diced tomatoes back by 50%, as I thought it would otherwise be too 'tomatoye'

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1  lb  extra lean ground beef
• 6  ounces pancetta, finely chopped (or use bacon)
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  carrots, finely diced
• 2  celery ribs, chopped
• 1  teaspoon dried thyme
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon pepper
• 1  teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 28  ounces whole tomatoes
• 28  ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup red wine (or 2 tsp/10 mL red wine vinegar)
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  pinch granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven, saute beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any fat.
2. Add pancetta, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, salt, pepper and fennel seeds; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
3. Add milk; simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, wine, bay leaf and sugar, breaking up tomatoes with potato masher (I usually just use a fork). .
5. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened and mixture can mound on spoon, about 1 hour.
6. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley.
7. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate, uncovered, in airtight container until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.).