Fresh Pappardelle Bolognese

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Medium dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Thinly slice half the celery; small dice the remaining celery. Peel and small dice the carrots. Quarter the lemon and remove the seeds. Cut the apple into thin matchsticks; toss with the juice of 2 lemon wedges to prevent browning. Remove and discard the root of the lettuce; roughly chop the leaves. Pick the parsley leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Roughly chop half the parsley leaves; keep the remaining leaves whole.

In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, carrots, onion, diced celery and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomato paste; cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant and the tomato paste is dark red in color.

While the vegetables cook, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned. Remove from heat. Carefully drain off and discard any rendered fat in the pan.

To the pot of vegetables, add the cooked beef, beef demi-glace, heavy cream and 2½ cups of water; stir until well combined. Heat to boiling on high, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot; season with salt and pepper. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high; simmer, stirring occasionally, 14 to 16 minutes, or until thickened and slightly reduced in volume. Remove from heat.

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water; cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water; drain the cooked pasta and transfer it directly to the pot of sauce along with the reserved pasta water. Cook on medium, stirring to coat the noodles in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, or until well combined. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

In medium bowl, combine the lettuce, sliced celery, apple, whole parsley, all but a pinch of the remaining Parmesan cheese and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges; drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the salad and finished pasta to serving dishes. Garnish the pasta with the chopped parsley and remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!