Spaghetti bolognese

Adapted from the original recipe.

Ingredients List

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon finely chopped or 1 pack of smoked lardons
  • 2 medium onions, coarsely grated
  • 2 carrots, coarsely grated
  • 2 celery sticks, coarsely grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-3 sprigs rosemary, whole
  • 500g beef mince
  • 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes (plum, chopped or passata)
  • small pack basil finely chopped and the rest left whole for garnish (dry also works)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 cube beef stock
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 125ml red wine
  • 6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 75g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
  • 400g spaghetti
  • crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Method

  1. Turn on the oven to 140 C.
  2. Fry the bacon in the oil over medium heat for 10 min until golden and crisp
  3. Turn the heat up, add the mince and cook for 3-4 min until browned all over - try to avoid turning the mince to create a crust.
  4. Reduce the heat, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary, and fry for 10 min, stirring often, until softened
  5. Stir in the tomatoes, chopped basil, oregano, bay leaves, tomato purée, stock, chilli (if using), red wine and halved cherry tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes as you go.
  6. Bring to the boil, then cover with a cartouche and roast in the oven for 1hr 15 min, stirring occasionally, until rich and thick
  7. remove the rosemary and bay leaves
  8. Stir in the parmesan and check the seasoning
  9. Cook the spaghetti to pack instructions, then drain and toss through the sauce, or serve the sauce on top
  10. Finish with extra parmesan, the reserved basil leaves and crusty bread

Notes & thoughts

Look, you don't have to put in the thing in the oven you can slow cook it on the stove, but basically it needs time to develop the flavour. This is just better made the day before.