Macaroni with Bolognese Sauce

Peel the carrot and onion. Cut the carrot, celery, onion and ham into small cubes. Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the vegetables until lightly browned. Crumble in the beef and cook until browned.

Meanwhile, blanch tomatoes, peel, remove seeds and finely chop. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and stir in the vegetable broth. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce, covered, until thick, about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Remove the bay leaf from the meat sauce, and season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.