Step 1

Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat.

Step 2

Place the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Alternatively, you can chop everything by hand to a mince.

Step 3

Transfer the finely chopped vegetables to the hot pot and sauté until softened, stirring frequently, about 8-10 minutes.

Step 4

Add the ground lamb and cook with the vegetables until browned, breaking up with a spatula as it cooks.

Step 5

Next, add the tomato paste, anchovy paste if using along with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stir until incorporated.

Step 6

Pour in the wine and deglaze any browned up bits on the bottom of the pan by scraping with a wooden spatula.

Step 7

Add the crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, bay leaf, rosemary and oregano and stir until everything is well combined.

Step 8

Lower the heat to a simmer and cook with a lid on but slightly askew for 30-45 minutes, stirring often. Sauce will thicken and reduce a bit by the end.

Step 9

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper towards the end of the cooking time as well as the splash of milk or cream. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.

Step 10

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions).

Step 11

Using a hand-held strainer, transfer the cooked pasta to the pot with the bolognese. It's ok if a bit of pasta water transfers along with the pasta as it helps loosen the bolognese sauce.

Step 12

Toss to combine the pasta with the bolognese, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh herbs and grated pecorino romano.