Here is a meaty tomato sauce that doesn’t need to cook for a long time to be flavorful. And the sauce keeps well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　4 tablespoons butter

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1 carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup)

　　1 onion, chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, chopped

　　3/4 pound ground beef

　　1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes

　　1/2 cup milk

　　1 dried bay leaf

　　1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

　　1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

　　1 pound fettuccine

　　Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

　　

Step 1

Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the carrot, onion, and garlic. Add the ground beef, and cook until it turns from pink to brown, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add the tomatoes and their liquid, crushing them with the back of a large spoon. Stir in the milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fettuccine until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and drain the fettuccine. Return it to the warm pot. Add the meat sauce, and toss. Add the reserved pasta water as needed if the sauce seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan.

　　

regional ragù

Step 4

Our sauce is based on the famed Ragù alla Bolognese (sauce in the style of Bologna). The addition of milk might seem to be unusual, but it’s traditional in northern Italy—where butter and cream, as well as milk, are essential to the cuisine.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2007 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazine's editors.Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.