Spagetti Bolognese

Serves 4

 



For Bolognese:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 ounces cubed pancetta
• 1 medium onion
• 2 fat cloves garlic
• 1 carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 large, flat mushrooms (Portobello is good), about 4 ounces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound ground beef or lamb
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes or passate
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 3/4 cups stock
• 1 nutmeg
• 3/4 cups half and half or cream

For Serving:

• Spaghetti or tagliatelle for 4
• Grated Parmesan

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot--then stir in the pancetta and let cook for five minutes or so, without coloring much. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop onion & garlic and stir them into pancetta. Peel & finely chop the carrot and celery and stir them in, too. Lastly, finely chop the mushrooms and add to the pan, then tuck in the bay leaves and leave to cook for ten minutes over a moderate heat, stirring frequently.
2. Turn up the heat and tip in the meat, breaking it up well with a fork.
3. Now leave to cook without stirring for a good three for four minutes, then, as the meat on the bottom is starting to brown, stir again, breaking up the meat where necessary and leave to color.
4. Mix in the tomatoes, red wine, stock, a grating of nutmeg and some salt and clack pepper, letting it come to a boil. Turn the heat down so that everything barely bubbles. There should be movement but one that is gentle, not quite a simmer. Partially cover the pan with a lid and leave the putter away for an hour to and hour and a half. Stir from time to time to check liquid levels. You don't want it to be dry.
5. Pour in the half and half or cream a bit at a time, stir and continue cooking for twenty minutes. Check the seasoning, then serve with pasta & grated Parmesan.