Make the ragu: Put the garlic, celery, onions and fennel in a food processor and puree to make a coarse paste. Coat a wide, deep pan with the olive oil and put over medium-high heat. Add the pureed veggies and season with salt; cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the veggies begin to stick to the pan-you want to brown the crap out of these guys until crud starts to form on the bottom of the pan. Stir occasionally to scrape up the browned bits, then let the crud form again. Be patient here and don't rush it: This is where the big flavor develops; it will take up to 30 minutes.
When the lovely brown crud has formed and been scraped down a couple of times, stir in the tomato paste. Let it start to brown a little, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. There's not much liquid at this point to keep things from burning, so move fast: Add the wine, stir to combine and scrape up any remaining browned bits. Cook until about half of the wine has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (This is where another round of big flavor is formed, so take your time.)
Add enough water to cover the meat by about 1/2 inch. Stir to combine well, then add the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Taste, season with salt and taste again; it's by no means done, but it should taste good. Bring the sauce to a boil (BTB) and reduce to a simmer (RTS). Continue cooking for 3 hours, tasting, seasoning and adding more water as needed. Discard the bay leaves and thyme.
Meanwhile, make the pickled onions: Combine the vinegar, 1/2 cup cold water, the sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and the hot sauce in a bowl. Add the sliced onion and let sit, at least 1 hour. Drain.
Assemble the nachos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread a layer of tortilla chips on an ovenproof platter. Top with a layer of the ragu and cover with the parmigiano and fontina cheeses. Bake until the cheeses melt, 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the chopped chipotle, adobo sauce and mascarpone in a bowl. Sprinkle the arugula over the nachos and finish with dollops of the chipotle mascarpone and the pickled onions. A gooey cheesy treat. Delish.
Photograph by Con Poulos

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Nutrition Facts

Per Serving Per 100 g

Amount Per 1 Serving
Calories	1452.49 Kcal (6081 kJ)
Calories from fat	935.44 Kcal
		% Daily Value*
Total Fat	103.94g	160%
Cholesterol	207.76mg	69%
Sodium	2260.1mg	94%
Potassium	2507.1mg	53%
Total Carbs	79.31g	26%
Sugars	23.66g	95%
Dietary Fiber	12.17g	49%
Protein	50.78g	102%
Vitamin C	48.4mg	81%
Iron	8.1mg	45%
Calcium	416.6mg	42%

Amount Per 100 g
Calories	201.67 Kcal (844 kJ)
Calories from fat	129.88 Kcal
		% Daily Value*
Total Fat	14.43g	160%
Cholesterol	28.85mg	69%
Sodium	313.8mg	94%
Potassium	348.09mg	53%
Total Carbs	11.01g	26%
Sugars	3.29g	95%
Dietary Fiber	1.69g	49%
Protein	7.05g	102%
Vitamin C	6.7mg	81%
Iron	1.1mg	45%
Calcium	57.8mg	42%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Tastes

salty
savory
bitter
sweet

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