Spaghetti Bolognaise

Ingredients:

• 2 x packets of Colleton Red Ruby minced beef
• 250g salt pork, pancetta or streaky bacon finely diced
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 glass of red wine
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 500g onions, finely chopped
• 400g tin of plum tomatoes
• 250 ml tomato passata (sieved roast tomatoes)
• 300ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of herbs such as thyme, basil, parsley, marjoram or oregano if available
• 1 tablespoon of cream or a large knob of butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To accompany:

• 500g spaghetti
• A knob of butter
• Parmesan cheese
• Bread

Making the sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon until the fat runs.  Add the Colleton Red Ruby minced beef and brown it then transfer it to a good sized casserole dish.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine and add these juices to the casserole dish.

Wipe the frying pan and add the rest of the olive oil and heat gently.  Add the garlic and onions until the onions are soft and translucent, then add the tomatoes and passata and turn up the heat until the mixture bubbles and stir regularly.  When the tomato sauce has reduced and thickened add it to the meat along with the stock water and the bay leaves and any other herbs, seasoning with half a tablespoon of salt.

Bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.  The finished sauce should be thick and rich, for extra richness finish the sauce by adding cream or a large knob of butter.

Serving up

Boil the spaghetti in well salted water, drain the water then return to the pan with a knob of butter and toss the spaghetti.  Either serve the English way, of nesting the spaghetti on a plate and placing the Colleton Red Ruby bolognaise sauce on top; or the Italian way, adding the spaghetti to the sauce and mixing it up.

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