Name: Spaghetti bolognaise
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Beef
Ingredients: 2 Tbs olive oil or sun-dried tomato oil; 6 bacon smoked streaky rashers, chopped; 2 onions large, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 kg beef mince lean; 2 wine red; 2 tinned tomatoes chopped; 2 bay leaves fresh or dried; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried thyme; vinegar balsamic; sun-dried tomatoes in oil; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; fresh basil torn; 800 g pasta spaghettti; parmesan cheese grated, to serve

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Ingredients (16)

2 Tbs	olive oil — or sun-dried tomato oil
6	bacon — smoked streaky rashers, chopped
2	onions — large, chopped
3	garlic — cloves, crushed
1 kg	beef mince — lean
2	wine — red
2	tinned tomatoes — chopped
2	bay leaves — fresh or dried
1 tsp	dried oregano
1 tsp	dried thyme
	vinegar — balsamic
	sun-dried tomatoes — in oil
	sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
	fresh basil — torn
800 g	pasta — spaghettti
	parmesan cheese — grated, to serve

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Method:

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the bacon until golden over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, frying until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Fry it until it has browned, breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine and boil until it has reduced in volume by about a third. Reduce the temperature and stir in the tomatoes, drained mushrooms, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and balsamic vinegar.

Either blitz the sun-dried tomatoes in a small blender with a little of the oil to loosen, or just finely chop before adding to the pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer the bolognaisse sauce over a gentle heat for 1-1½ hours until it’s rich and thickened, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, stir in the basil and add any extra seasoning if necessary.
Remove from the heat to ‘settle’ while you cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water (for the time stated on the packet). Drain and divide between warmed plates. Scatter a little Parmesan over the spaghetti before adding a good ladle of the bolognaisse sauce, finishing with a scattering of more cheese and a twist of black pepper.

Recipe reprinted with permission of Chalmar Beef.

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