Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 6

1 pound freshly ground pork (or beef or turkey)
2 cups mixed mushrooms, finely diced
1/2 cup Pecorino cheese, grated
2 large shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 cups red wine
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2" sprig fresh thyme
salt and ground pepper to taste<
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp. White Truffle of Alba Oil
1 pound dried rigatoni, penne, or any other short pasta that will hold the sauce, cooked with water reserved

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown well, breaking the meat up into the smallest pieces possible, for about 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a bowl and reserve. To the same pot add mushrooms and sauté until caramelized, about 5 minutes, scraping up any bits of browned meat, and stirring occasionally.

Add shallots, carrots, and celery, and sauté for another two minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Deglaze the pan with red wine and reduce by half. Add tomatoes and thyme and reduce heat to low and cover. Cook at barely a simmer, covered, over low heat, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a few tablespoons of stock or water to the sauce if it loses too much moisture.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with sea salt and and freshly ground pepper.

Add the just-drained, al dente pasta to the pot with the sauce and continue to cook the pasta along with a tablespoon or so of the pasta water. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to completely sauce the pasta.

Portion pasta into servings and top each with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and a drizzle of White Truffle Oil.