Rich bolognese sauce

Makes 8-10 portions of sauce for spaghetti bolognese or a large lasagne

Ingredients

• 3 large onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 100g bacon
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 450g minced beef
• 350g minced pork
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 150ml cheap red wine
• 2 x 500g cartons passata
• 2 heaped tablespoons tomato puree
• 400ml beef stock

Note: You’ll need a 2.5 litre cast iron casserole with a tight fitting lid.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 deg C.
2. Place the garlic, carrots, bacon, oregano and thyme herbs into a mini food processor and whizz on a high setting until finely chopped.
3. Sweat the onions in the olive oil over a low heat for 8 to 10 minutes in a large cast iron casserole until they are soft but not coloured.
4. Add the garlic mixture from the food processor to the casserole, turn up the heat to medium and fry for 5 minutes.
5. Add a third of the minced beef and pork, turn the heat up to high and fry until browned, stirring all the time (approximately 3 minutes).
6. Repeat step 4 twice to use up the remaining beef and pork.
7. Add the chilli flakes and stir in well. Cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the wine, stir everything thoroughly and leave to reduce slightly over a high heat for 2 minutes.
9. Add the passata, tomato puree and beef stock, stir thoroughly and bring to the boil.
10. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 1.5 hours.
11. Remove the casserole from the oven. If the sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like it, put the casserole on a medium heat on the hob without a lid on until it’s reduced to the correct thickness, stirring regularly so it doesn’t catch.
12. Serve with spaghetti, freeze or use to make lasagne.