The tale of two spaghettis.

My husband and have very different opinions when it comes to food. We both enjoy fancy restaurants, but when we are staying home…I prefer trying to replicate those delicious dishes, while he prefers more comfort food without all the bells and whistles. Our differences in spaghetti preferences are no exception. We both love spaghetti, but I love it slow-cooking on the stove for hours with pancetta, while he loves spaghetti with lots of peppers and a thick red sauce. Both versions are delicious, it just depends what you’re in the mood for…an Italian café, or your mothers kitchen.

This is the recipe for my favorite type of spaghetti…get ready to have your whole house smell like awesomeness, and be so full that you can barely move. Just have your red wine ready.

And yes I do keep bacon grease in my refrigerator. Its liquid gold, has tons of uses, and did I mention that its liquid gold?

Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 medium sized carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c chopped pancetta
• 1 tbsp bacon grease
• 1 lbs ground beef
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 c halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 c full-bodied red wine
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 box of dried fettuccine pasta
• lots and lots of freshly shaved parmesan

1. Finely chop the garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Rather than chop it, I used a food processor, which was much easier, and made for more evenly sized pieces.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the vegetable mixture, and cook on med-high heat until the vegetables begin to brown. Next, add the pancetta and cook until the entire mixture evenly browns. Add the bacon grease and mix thoroughly.
3. Add the ground beef to the same pot, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
4. Once the meat is brown, add the red wine, cherry tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste. Mix completely, and once the mixture begins to boil slightly, reduce the heat to low-med and cover for one hour. Season with salt to taste.
5. Follow the directions on the pasta box, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Don’t over cook the pasta, as the pasta will absorb some of the liquid from the sauce.
6. Once the meat sauce is finished, add the noodles to the same pan.
7. Now Enjoy! Get yourself a nice glass of wine, cover your pasta with lots of parmesan, get cozy and eat up. I had two bowls, so don’t be shy about getting seconds!