Bolognese with pappardelle are feel-good favorites. I make cozy meals for myself or for my family at the end of especially long days, on nights when I feel a cold coming on, or when we are in need of a little cheering up at your house.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

¼ pound pancetta, cut into small dice or ground

1 pound ground sirloin

1 pound ground pork

1 onion, cut into small dice

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

1 carrot, cut into small dice

2 celery stalks, cut into small dice

Salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon freshy grated nutmeg, or to taste

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped

1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano, 1/3 palmful

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup tomato paste

2 cups red wine

3 cups beef stock

1 pound pappardelle or fettuccine pasta

1 cup whole milk or half-and-half

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more to pass at the table

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, a couple handfuls

Method:

In a large pot, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat, then add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and the fat is rendered, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sirloin and pork to the pot and brown for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the lumps. Add the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are

softened, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and the nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram or oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute or so, then add the wine and scrape up all the drippings. Reduce the wine by half for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and thicken the sauce for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook the pasta to al dente.

Add the milk to the sauce and simmer for a couple minutes to heat through. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasonings to taste. Turn off the heat.

Once the pasta is done, reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and toss it back into the pot it was cooked in along with the reserved water, about a cup of grated cheese, and a couple handfuls of chopped parsley.

Add half the pasta sauce and toss well to coat.

Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, topped with additional sauce. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.