It's cold outside! Let's make ragu!

Could there be a better way to get vegetables into a child, or anyone for that matter? My friend Robyn gave me the idea for making ragu, though mine is probably less traditional than hers. I've made it for years now and we all love it. It gets better after it's been frozen and thawed. It's better after a day or two in the fridge. It's better the longer you cook it, and it's fantastic if you don't have enough time to simmer for hours, make it when you get home from work, and eat it at 8. It's loaded with vegetables, but hidden in the sauce, kids don't seem to notice.

Super Ragu

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large carrot, tough ends removed and cut in chunks

1 large onion, peeled and cut in chunks

1 fennel bulb, cored and cut in chunks, fronds reserved

8 T olive oil

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1 1/4 lb ground pork

1 28 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes, or 1 32 oz bottle of passata di pomodoro

1/2 t salt

Process the garlic, carrot, fennel and onion in a food processor until finely ground. Heat 3 T. of the oil in a large saucepan or skillet on high heat. When shimmering, add the ground vegetables to make a soffrito. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant. Add the red pepper and chopped fennel fronds and cook for about another 2 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to brown.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 5 T. of oil. Add the ground pork and cook for about 10 minutes, or until no pink remains in the pork. Stir frequently. If pork begins to brown, that's good.

Add tomatoes and about 1/2 c. water that you've used to clean the tomato container. Add the salt, reduce heat to low. Simmer as long as you can until you simply must eat it. The longer the sauce cooks, the more concentrated it will become. Add pasta cooking water to bring back to desired consistency. Serve with spaghetti, linguine or fettucini and lots of grated parmesan.