Prep the Veggies: Finely chop onion and celery. Peel and grate carrots. For quick chopping, use a food processor or blender. Mince the garlic.
Cook the Pancetta: Over medium heat, cook pancetta in a large Dutch oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pot and set aside on a paper towel.
Sauté the Veggies: Increase heat to medium-high and add butter and olive oil to the Dutch oven with the pancetta grease. Add your chopped onions, carrots and celery. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 5-6 minutes.
Add garlic to the mirepoix and cook for another minute before adding ground beef chuck. Season with salt and pepper.
Brown the Beef: Add beef to the veggies. Cook over medium high heat while stirring constantly until the meat is browned nicely and the water has evaporated, about 6 – 7 minutes. Note: Make sure there is no liquid in the pan at this point! Stir in the tomato paste and beef bouillon. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze the Pan: Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine and scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pan (also known as fond).
Add Additional Ingredients: Crush the peeled tomatoes with your hand or a masher. We prefer using our hands! Add the water (or beef stock), milk, crushed tomatoes, reserved pancetta, bay leaves, oregano, parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot, stirring well.
Simmer on Low: Once simmering, reduce heat to low and continue simmering for about 2 -3 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and sauce has thickened.
If the sauce reduces before the beef is tender then add a little bit of water and continue cooking. If meat is tender before sauce reduces, then continue simmering uncovered. Once meat is tender and sauce has thickened, discard bay leaves and season to taste.
Cook the Pasta: Cook pasta of your choice (we used Gigli) until al dente or according to package instructions.
Assemble: Transfer pasta to Bolognese sauce along with 1/4-1/2 cup of pasta water if needed. Mix well.
Serve on a platter topped with fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese or diced green onions. Enjoy!