Sugo alla Bolognese

Sugo alla Bolognese, a rich pasta sauce made with ground beef and a hint of tomato, may have originated in Bologna, but is just as popular in Tuscany as it is in Emilia Romagna, and indeed winter wouldn't be quite the same without its simmering on the stove, filling the house with wonderful aromas, and then bringing joy to the table too.

Add ossibuchi, veal (or beef) shanks to the pot, and the results are heavenly: The sauce gains a delightful satiny texture from the marrow in the bones, while the shanks gain greatly from the herbs used to season the sauce. Boil up pasta water and prepare some spinach while the sauce cooks, and you'll have a perfect two course Italian-style winter meal. To serve 4 - 6:
1 pound (500 g) ground beef - not too lean, or the sauce will be dry

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
• A medium-sized onion
• A carrot
• A 10-inch stalk of celery
• A small bunch of parsley
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• An 8-0unce (225 g) can tomato paste
• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) beef or veal shanks (4-5 pieces of meat, with bone)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• A pound of pasta, either flat, e.g. pappardelle, or round, e.g. ziti or penne
• Grated Parmigiano.

Begin by flouring the ossibuchi and browning them over a medium flame in a skillet with a non-stick surface. Additional fat will not be necessary.