Ingredients

• ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 1¼ C sweet white wine
• ½ small carrot, peeled, chopped ½", ~¼ C
• ½ small onion, chopped ½" pieces, ~⅓ C
• 3 oz pancetta, cut into 1" pieces
• 28 oz tomatoes, whole with juice, 1 can
• 1½ Tb unsalted butter
• 1 small clove garlic, minced, ~½ tsp
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1¼ lb meatloaf mix
• 1½ C whole milk
• 2 Tb tomato paste
• Table salt
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 lb pasta
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Step 1

1. Simmer wine until to reduced to 2 Tb, ~20 mins
2. Set reduced wine aside.
3. Cover porcini mushrooms with ½ C boiling water, let stand until softened, ~5 min
4. Strain and reserve porcini and liquid

Step 2

1. Pulse carrot in food processor until into ¼" pieces, ~10 one-second pulses.
2. Add onion; pulse until veggies are broken down to ⅛" pieces, ~10 one-second pulses
3. Transfer to small bowl.
4. Process softened porcini until well-ground, ~15"
5. Transfer porcini to bowl with onions and carrots.
6. Process pancetta to ¼", ~30-35"; transfer to small bowl.
7. Pulse tomatoes with juice until chopped fine, 6-8 1" pulses.

Step 3

1. Heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming subsides
2. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, ~2 mins.
3. Add carrot, onion, porcini, stir frequently until vegetables are softened but not browned, ~4 mins.
4. Add garlic and sugar; cook ~30 seconds.
5. Add ground meats, breaking meat into 1" pieces with wooden spoon, ~1 minute.
6. Add milk and stir to break meat; bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium

Step 4

1. Stir to break up meat into small pieces, until most liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, 18-20 mins.
2. Stir in tomato paste and cook until combined, ~1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes, reserved porcini soaking liquid, ¼ tsp salt & pepper
4. Simmer over med-high heat, reduce heat to medium
5. Continue until liquid is reduced, sauce is thickened but still moist, 12-15 mins.
6. Stir in reduced wine and simmer to blend flavors, ~5 mins.

Step 5

1. Meanwhile, bring 4 qt water to rolling boil, covered, in stockpot.
2. Add 1-Tb salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente.
3. Drain, reserving ¼ C pasta cooking water, and return pasta to stockpot.
4. Add 2 C sauce and 2 Tb pasta water to pasta; toss well, adding remaining pasta water, if necessary, to help distribute sauce.
5. Divide pasta among individual bowls and top each portion with ~¼ C remaining sauce.