Brown ground meat with salt and pepper, drain and set aside. Sauté ham, onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil until ham is browned and vegetables are soft.
Stir in ground meat and optional glass of red wine. Add the canned tomatoes and a little water and let sauce simmer at least 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
The sauce will be thick and can be served over hot rigatoni pasta and garnished with fresh basil or parsley and freshly shredded BelGioioso American Grana®.