Pasta "Bolognese"

Ingredients:

• 1.3 kg ground beef from the shoulder-neck part, brisket or a mixture of both
• 450 g spaghetti
• 1 large onion or 2 small ones, cut into 2 cm cubes.
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1cm cubes.
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 2cm cubes.
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Olive oil, for frying
• 2 cups tomato paste
• 3 cups rich red wine
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 bunch thyme, tied
• 0.5 tbsp. grated parmesan
• Quality extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, puree the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until they form a chunky paste. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and season generously with salt. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until all the water has evaporated and the vegetables are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Be patient; the sauté will now be infused with flavor.
2. Add the ground beef and season generously with salt again. Brown the ground beef until crisp. A crisp crust adds flavor. Don't rush this step. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4-5 minutes.
3. Add water to the pan so it's about 2.5 cm above the meat. Add the bay leaf and thyme and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates, you'll need to add more, about 2-3 cups at a time. Feel free to add more water; it will evaporate anyway. This is a game of evaporation and adding water. This is where the flavor of the dish develops. If you add all the water at once, you'll end up with a simple, boiled meat sauce. Stir frequently and taste.Add salt if necessary. Cook over low heat for 3-4 hours.
4. 30 minutes before the meat sauce is ready, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should always be well-salted. Salty as the ocean! Try it! If you don't salt your pasta water enough, no matter how delicious your sauce, the whole dish will taste undersalted.When the water boils, add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions. Separately, set aside 0.5 cups of water.
5. While the pasta is cooking, remove half of the meat sauce from the pan.
6. Drain the pasta and add it to the saucepan with the remaining sauce. Stir to coat the pasta evenly. Add a little of the reserved sauce if needed for a meatier dish. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and simmer over medium heat until the sauce has evaporated.
7. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan cheese, and drizzle generously with good-quality olive oil. Toss to coat. Divide the Bolognese pasta among individual plates or place in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.