Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 225 grams smoked back bacon, finely diced
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, finely diced
• 3 sticks celery, finely diced
• 500 grams minced beef
• 800 grams chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 250 milliliters white wine
• 3 finely pared strips lemon zest
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 10 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
• 500 grams spaghetti
• 30 grams butter

Directions:

1. To make the bolognese sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, garlic, carrot and celery and fry for about 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in the minced beef and stir-fry until the beef is evenly brown and crumbly. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, wine, lemon zest, bay leaf and parsley. Lightly season with salt (the bacon is quite salty). Add pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste.

2. Return the mixture to the boil and simmer gently for an hour until it forms a thick, flavoursome sauce, then remove the lemon zest, bay leaf and parsley. Finally, stir in 6 tbsp grated Parmesan.

3. Just before you are ready to serve, drop the spaghetti into a pan of boiling, salted water. Cook according to packet instructions until al dente - about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and heap into a serving bowl. Add the butter and 4 tbsp more Parmesan. Toss well and serve with the sauce and extra Parmesan.

4. Adapted from a recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in February 2004.

(Serves 6)