2 TB olive oil
1 red or yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
4 celery stalks, finely diced
8 oz bacon or pancetta, finely diced
2 lbs ground beef, venison, elk or combination of pork and beef
Coarse salt
1 cup red wine, preferably Malbec (surely you can find a use for the rest of the bottle)
2 28 oz cans of whole tomatoes, pulsed in a blender
Black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 TB finely chopped rosemary
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and torn
2 pound of dry pasta (penne, spaghetti or orecchiette)
1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano
 
Heat a saucepan over low heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrot and celery and sauté over low heat until it starts to caramelize. Add the bacon and beef and cook, breaking into small pieces until browned. Drain off most of the rendered fat. Stir in 2 tsp of salt
 
Pour the wine into the meat mixture and deglaze the pan. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the tomatoes and stir in the black pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary and olives. Simmer for around 40 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
 
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce over pasta with grated cheese on top.
 
Serves 8-12