readysteadyausteritycook: 'Economy Gastronomy' Spaghetti Bolognese

I'm not a huge fan of spaghetti bolognese. That's because I've eaten lots of bad versions - usually far too much tomato puree based sauce and giant chunks of celery. When I bought some reduced mince I decided to finally try to make this classic. I figured that the rest of the ingredients were cheap, and I was right. What's also great about this recipe (which is based on Allegra McEvedy's Economy Gastronomy braised mince/ragu recipe) is that you can include or omit whatever you like, and you can make a little mince go a long way with a lot of vegetables. Every time I've made this, it's included at least 5 of my '5 a day'.

You can include - or omit - bacon lardons, garlic, herbs, carrots, mushrooms, leeks, tobasco. You really have to have onion, red wine and stock (and obviously mince). Flavouring, like Worcestershire Sauce, can be played with (eg use HP sauce or soy sauce or balsamic vinegar instead if that's what you have) and the tomatoes can be plum, chopped, fresh, passata - anything.

This is a 'slow food' recipe - it takes at least an hour to simmer the braised mince, and then another 45 minutes to make the ragu itself. But there isn't much work in it at all - you can leave it to simmer on a low heat after you've done all the prep.

Ingredients:

Mince (about a pound or whatever you have got)

Onions

Leeks

Carrots

Mushrooms

Red wine

2 tins of plum/chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 pints of beef stock (750ml)

Worcestershire sauce or similar (see above)

Herbs

Garlic

Oil for frying

Spaghetti

Chop the onion and brown with some garlic and herbs if you have them - chopped fresh rosemary or dried mixed herbs.

Meanwhile brown the mince by frying it on a high heat in batches. You don't need to cook it, just get a nice crusty colour on it.

Add the mince to the onion, add a pint of beef stock and a tin of chopped tomatoes or passata. Slug in some Worcestershire sauce and let it simmer for about an hour,

Now you are about to make the ragu. Chop another onion, shallots or a couple of leeks (my favourite to use here) and fry with some bacon bits or lardons if you have them. Here I like to include sliced mushrooms and sliced carrot pieces. Fry these all in a little oil and then after a couple of minutes add a large glass of red wine. Let this fry off until the pan is nearly dry.

Then add the mince to the pan, with another tin of tomatoes or passata (I like to use both - tomatoes first, then passata at this stage) and half a pint of beef stock. Let this simmer on a low heat until the consistancy is right for you - about 45 minutes or an hour. Towards the end, taste and season - perhaps some fresh ground pepper or spicy tobasco to give a little kick.