Spaghetti Bolognese

• Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (Prep 15 mins | Cook 1 hour 15 mins)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 4-6

Source: Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

• 2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, preferably free-range or organic
• 2 medium onions (peeled and finely chopped)
• 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
• 2 carrots (finely chopped)
• 2 sticks of celery (finely chopped)
• olive oil
• 2 heaped tsp dried oregano
• 500g good-quality minced beef, pork, or a mixture of the two
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a small bunch of fresh basil
• 400-500g dried spaghetti or penne
• 100g Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Make the sauce

1. Finely slice the bacon. Peel and finely chop the onions2 medium onions (peeled and finely chopped), garlic2 cloves of garlic (peeled and finely chopped), carrots2 carrots (finely chopped) and celery2 sticks of celery (finely chopped).
2. Place a large casserole-type pan on a medium to high heat. Add 2 lugs of olive oilolive oil, the sliced bacon and the oregano. Cook and stir until the bacon is lightly golden.
3. Add the veg to the pan and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes, or until softened and lightly coloured.
4. Stir in the minced meat and the tinned tomatoes2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes. Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Pick the basila small bunch of fresh basil leaves and place in the fridge for later. Finely chop the basila small bunch of fresh basil stalks and stir into the pan.
6. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with a lid on for about 1 hour, stirring every now and again to stop it catching.
7. Remove the Bolognese sauce from the heat. Finely grate the Parmesan and stir half into the sauce.
8. Tear and stir in any larger basila small bunch of fresh basil leaves, keeping the smaller ones for sprinkling over before serving. Season with a little more salt and pepper if needed.

2. Cook the pasta and serve

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and stir, following the packet cooking times. You want it to have a bit of bite.
2. Saving a little of the cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander. Put the drained pasta back into the pan.
3. Add half the Bolognese sauce to the cooked pasta and mix well, adding a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen.
4. Divide between plates and spoon the remaining sauce over the top. Drizzle with olive oilolive oil, sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan and scatter with the small basila small bunch of fresh basil leaves.