Heat a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts and foam subsides, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Cook pancetta

Add the chopped pancetta (or bacon) to the pan and cook until it releases fat and becomes lightly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

Brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork in a single layer. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and brown without crowding, letting some pieces get good color, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper while browning.

Add tomato paste & deglaze

Push the meat to one side, add the tomato paste to the empty space, and cook it for 1–2 minutes, stirring, to caramelize slightly. Pour in the wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.

Add tomatoes & simmer

Stir in the crushed whole tomatoes, beef/chicken stock, dried oregano, bay leaf, and optional 1/2 tsp sugar. Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely simmers. Cover partially and cook gently for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors meld. If sauce thickens too much, add a splash of stock or water.

Finish with milk & season

Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the milk and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes to incorporate and mellow acidity. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and additional sugar if needed. Stir in chopped fresh parsley.

Pasta & Assembly

Cook rigatoni

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the rigatoni and cook until just shy of al dente according to package directions (usually 1–2 minutes less), about 9–11 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Combine pasta and sauce

Return the drained rigatoni to the pot or to the pan with the sauce over low heat. Add about half of the reserved pasta water and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Toss gently to coat and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for 1–2 minutes; add more pasta water as needed to reach a silky consistency and to help the sauce cling to the rigatoni.

Serve

Divide rigatoni among warmed plates. Sprinkle additional grated Parmesan and chopped basil or parsley over each portion. Serve immediately.