Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped fine
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 32 ounces canned whole tomatoes, chopped including juice
• 6 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 lb rigatoni pasta
• 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

Instructions

1. In a medium frying pan, heat the oil and butter over low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley and basil and cook until very soft, about 20 minutes.

2. Raise the heat to moderate, add the ground beef, fennel seed, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes with their juice and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

5. Stir in the parmesan.

6. Heat the oven to 350F.

7. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until almost done, about 12 minutes. Drain.

8. Lightly oil a 3 quart oval baking dish. Toss the pasta with the meat sauce and put half of it in the baking dish. Top with half the mozzarella. Repeat with remaining pasta and mozzarella.

9. Bake until the pasta is piping hot, about 20 minutes.