Spaghetti ala Bolognaise

Insofar as South Africans are concerned it's a toss up as to whether Spaghetti with meatballs, Spaghetti Bolognaise or Macaroni Cheese is the most popular or most recognized of the pasta dishes. There are many, many recipes for Spaghetti Bolognaise The recipe given here is a classic

INGREDIENTS for the bolognaise sauce

500g (1lb) best quality minced beef
4 tablespoons olive oil
100g (4oz) finely diced bacon
1 medium sized onion – finely diced
1 medium sized carrot – finely diced
1 stalk of celery – finely diced
1 good sized clove of garlic
100g (4oz) chopped button mushrooms
1 glass dry red wine
chopped parsley
chopped (or dried) oregano
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper + sea salt
3 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste (purée)

You will also need:
500g (1lb) Spaghetti
100g (4 oz) grated Parmesian cheese

METHOD to make the Bolognaise

Heat oil in a large frypan and add bacon, onion, carrot, celery, garlic. Sauté until it starts to brown.
Add the minced beef and stir gently for a few minutes.
Add the mushrooms and the red wine and let the mixture reduce for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Now add the parsley, the oregano, the nutmeg and the tomato paste. Stir carefully and add enough water to make a fairly thick sauce.
Simmer for 30 minutes.

When the Bolognaise is almost ready you can cook the Spaghetti, following the tips given in the Cooking Pasta section of this website
Top the drained spaghetti with the sauce, parmesan cheese and some more chopped parsley if desired.
Serves 4. Serve with crusty Italian bread and a crisp garden salad.