Simple Bolognese Sauce

1. Heat olive in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, dried herbs, and pepper flakes and sautè until the onion is softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic. Add ground meat and 1 teaspoon salt and crumble meat with edge of wooden spoon to break apart into tiny pieces. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.

2. Add milk and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, about 10 minutes. Add wine and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, about 10 minutes longer.

3. Add canned crushed and chopped whole tomatoes and their juice and bring to simmer; add dried bay leaves; reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface. Cook until liquid sauce is very thick, about 2 1/2 -3 hours.

4. Adjust seasonings with extra salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve over hot pasta of your choice. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days or frozen for several months. Warm over low heat before serving.)