"I like to freeze the Bolognese in 4- to 6-cup batches in doubled-up freezer bags.” For the pasta, a machine will make easy work of rolling and cutting this pasta, though you can accomplish the same results with a rolling pin and elbow grease. The pasta will keep, well dusted with flour, on kitchen towels, cooked the same day. Store it up to one night, well dusted with flour, in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Yields 4 to 6 cups sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
11⁄2 pounds ground veal
11⁄2 pounds ground pork
1 pound ground pancetta
2 cups finely diced carrots
2 cups finely diced white onion
2–3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1⁄2 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only, roughly chopped 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11⁄2 cups tomato paste
4 cups white wine
4 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil. Add the three meats and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain all but a couple tablespoons of the fat.

Heat the reserved fat over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until just softened. Add the thyme and red pepper.

Return the cooked meat to the pan with the tomato paste and stir well. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, just to bring everything together.

Add the white wine and milk; stir. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook, slowly, for 3 hours over the lowest heat possible, stirring about every 10 minutes.

Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Finish with fresh pars- ley. Serve with Fresh Semolina Pappardelle (recipe below). 

Semolina Pappardelle:

Serves 8–10

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 2 cups semolina flour
Salt and pepper to taste
5 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons water

In a large bowl, mix the flours, salt and pepper; turn onto a clean work surface. Create a big well in the middle. Carefully crack the eggs and yolk into the well; add the oil and water.

With a fork, slowly whisk the eggs with the flours, working in a circle motion along the inner edge of the well, gradually incorporating the flour into the wet ingredients. As the mixture becomes a clumpy mass, start to work the dough with your hands. You want to bring all of the ingredients together into a ball. If the dough feels dry, add a splash of water. If the dough feels wet, add a dusting of flour.

Knead the dough for about 8 minutes. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a dish towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Set up your pasta machine or get your rolling pin. Cut the dough into 6 to 8 equal pieces and flatten into discs. Cover the discs you’re not using with a kitchen towel.

Run the dough, one piece at a time, through the pasta machine set on the thickest setting and finishing at the second thinnest setting. Use extra flour as needed, to pre- vent sticking. After running the dough through the second-thinnest setting, you’ll have one long sheet of dough. If you’re working with a pin, roll each disc as thin as you can. You’re looking for a 1/16-inch thickness. Thicker is fine.

Cut the long piece of dough into 12-inch lengths and stack the pieces on top of one another. Fold each stack in half and cut into thick slices, about 11⁄2 inches wide. Toss the strands generously with flour to fully coat. Repeat rolling out with each of the remaining discs of dough.

To serve: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and toss with the Bolognese.