In a 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.(I sprinkled the veg with a little salt here too.)

Add the veal, pork, and pancetta, increase the heat to high, and brown the meat, stirring frequently.

Add the tomato paste, milk, wine, and thyme and bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 to ½ hours. Season the ragu with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and let cool.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Set up an ice bath next to the stove. Blanch the spinach leaves in the boiling water for 45 seconds, then remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the ice bath to cool for 2 minutes. Drain the spinach and squeeze dry in a kitchen towel, removing as much moisture as possible. Chop the spinach very fine and combine with the eggs in a small bowl. Stir well until as smooth as possible.

Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden board (I just used a very large bowl). Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs. Using a fork, beat the eggs together and then begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). When half of the flour is incorporated, the dough will begin to come together. Start kneading the dough, using primarily the palms of your hands. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, set the dough aside and scrape up and discard any dried bits of dough. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 10 minutes, dusting the board with additional flour as necessary. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before using.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring, until light golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, heat the milk to just under a boil. Add the milk to the butter mixture about 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly until very smooth, and bring to a boil, whisking. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 10 minutes; remove from the heat. Season with the salt and nutmeg. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 portions. Roll each one through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and working your way down to the thinnest setting, folding the pasta over itself once or twice towards the beginning to make a smooth sheet. After you put the dough through the thinnest setting, cut it into large 5-inch squares and dust with a healthy amount of flour. This part’s easy. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season well with salt. Set up a large ice bath next to the stove and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to it so the pasta won’t stick when it goes in there. Drop the pasta into the boiling water 5 to 6 sheets at a time and boil for one minute, just so they’re cooked-through but still al dente.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bring all your components to a table and also grate about 1 cup of good Parmesan Cheese into a bowl. In a large 9 X 13 baking dish, spread a layer of ragu on the bottom and sprinkle with some Parmesan. Pat a few sheets of cooked pasta dry on paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel) and make a layer on top. Add a layer of Béchamel and carefully spread it. Add another layer of ragu, more Parmesan, then more pasta. Repeat the process until you run out of ragu, Béchamel or pasta dough. The final layer should be a layer of pasta topped with Béchamel and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Bake for 45 minutes “or until the edges are browned and the sauces are bubbling.”