Process the vegetables

• Process the onion, celery, carrots and garlic until finely chopped.

Brown the vegetables

• Add the vegetables to a large pan with plenty of olive oil.
• Cook down, stirring, until deeply browned and crusty.
• Season heavily with salt.

Brown the meat

• Add the ground chuck and plenty of salt to the browned vegetables.
• Cook until the meat is browned and a crust forms on the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomato paste

• Stir in the tomato paste.
• Cook until the tomato paste turns brown.

Deglaze with wine

• Pour in the red wine.
• Cook down until the wine has reduced by half.

Simmer the sauce

• Add water, the bunch of thyme and the bay leaves.
• Simmer on low heat, checking every 20 minutes and adding water as needed, until the sauce is rich and thick.
• Remove half of the sauce and reserve.

Cook the pasta

• Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
• Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions.

Finish the pasta

• Mix the drained pasta into the remaining sauce, aiming for about half sauce and half pasta.
• Add some reserved pasta water.
• Stir in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil until it comes together.