Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, very finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated
• 1 celery stick, very finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 500 g beef mince (not too lean)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 250 ml beef stock, hot
• 100 ml full-fat milk
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 350 g spaghetti
• 2 tbsp salt, for the pasta water
• 40 g Parmesan or other hard cheese, finely grated, to serve
• 10 g fresh basil or parsley leaves, torn or roughly chopped, to garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring often, until soft and sweet but not browned.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the beef mince.
3. Break the mince up with a wooden spoon and cook until all the pink has gone and it starts to brown and sizzle in the pan, with no watery liquid left.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens to a brick red colour and smells rich.
5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, hot stock and milk. Add the oregano, bay leaf, the rest of the salt and the pepper, and stir well, scraping up anything stuck to the base.
6. Bring to a gentle bubble, then lower the heat and simmer partly covered, stirring every 10 minutes. It is ready when the sauce is thick, glossy and a little oil pools at the edges. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too dry.
7. About 15 minutes before the sauce is ready, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tbsp salt. Cook the spaghetti about 1 minute less than the packet says, until just firm to the bite. Scoop out a mug of pasta water, then drain.
8. Remove the bay leaf and taste the sauce, adding salt and pepper if needed. Toss the spaghetti in the pan with the sauce over low heat for 1 minute, adding a splash of pasta water so the sauce clings to the strands.
9. Serve straight away, topped with grated cheese and torn basil or parsley.

Tips

• Chop the vegetables very finely, or grate the onion, so they melt into the sauce.
• Let the mince brown properly before adding liquid; this gives the ragù depth of flavour.
• The milk softens the acidity of the tomatoes. Don't skip it if your tomatoes taste sharp.
• The sauce tastes even better made a day ahead.