Sluttishly Savoury: Classic Bolognese

I admit it. This is the first proper-from-scratch Bolognese sauce I've ever made, largely based on a recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, master of good old-fashioned home cooking. This serves 6.

You will need:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 250g unsmoked streaky bacon, diced (or pancetta cubes)
• 1kg beef mince
• 1 glass of red wine
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 500g of onions, finely diced
• 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
• 500ml of passata
• 250ml of beef stock
• Herbs - bay leaves, fresh lemon thyme and parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Cheese - Red Leicester and Parmesan
• Pasta of your choice

Make it!

• Fry the diced bacon in half of the oil. Then brown the mince in batches, removing the cooked meat to a casserole dish as you go. Season with salt and pepper.
• Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and add that to the casserole.
• Wipe out the pan with the paper towel and add the remaining oil.
• Gently cook the onion and garlic, then add the tomatoes and passata and get it bubbling away.
• Once the mixture has thickened, add it all to the casserole along with the stock and the fresh herbs.
• Allow to bubble away, uncovered for 1-2 hours.
• Serve with fresh pasta of your choice, garnish with cheese and fresh basil.

It will fill your kitchen with an amazing dense herby smell, and it makes a substantial amount! I'm going to use some of the remainder for a cottage pie with sweet potato topping, and it would be delish on baked potatoes. You can also vary the herbs, I used the what my local supermarket had on offer.

Admittedly it's a full-fat option, so do try to use lean beef. But it's oh so good. However, it does set somewhat of a precedence. After tasting this, I don't know that I'll be able to go back to tomato sauce in a jar...