Spaghetti with Bolognese Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• •¼ lb (125 g ) ham or bacon , cut into cubes
• •1 lb (450 g) beef lean or medium ground
• •1 tablespoon (15 ml ) olive oil
• •1 cup (225 ml) coarsely chopped onion
• •¼ cup (50 ml) coarsely chopped celery
• •¼ cup (50 ml) coarsely chopped carrot
• •¼ cup (50 ml) coarsely chopped fennel bulb, if available
• •¼ cup (50 ml) butter
• •1 cup (225 ml) canned plum tomato
• •½ cup (125 ml) red wine
• •2 cups (500 ml) beef stock (preferably fresh, but canned beef stock will do)
• •¼ cup (50 ml) tomato paste
• •1 strip of lemon rind
• •1 bay leaf
• •1 lb (450 g) spaghetti pasta, preferably made from durum wheat
• •1 cup Parmesan cheese for garnish, preferably freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan
• •Salt to taste
• •Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1Mix the coarsely chopped onion, carrot, celery and fennel (optional) together and finely chop them (this is called a battuto in Italian, or a finely chopped mixture of vegetables and herbs to flavour a dish).
2. 2Cut the ham or bacon into little cubes and sauté in a heavy saucepan .
3. 3Add the butter and allow it to melt. Then, add the battuto.
4. 4Cook, stirring occasionally until very lightly browned. Add this mixture to a heavy pot.
5. 5Heat the olive oil in the skillet the battuto was browned in and when the oil is hot, add the beef and stir to break up lumps, cooking until well browned.
6. 6Add to the battuto in the pot.
7. 7Add the wine to the skillet the beef was in and stir on high heat, scraping any brown bits stuck to the pan.
8. 8Add the tomato paste and stock and stir until well mixed and add this mixture to the pot.
9. 9Drain and coarsely chop the plum tomatoes and add them to the pot.
10. 10Add the bay leaf and lemon rind. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer , with bubbles barely breaking the surface.
11. 11Simmer, stirring occasionally for an hour (or more), until thick.
12. 12Add pepper and salt to taste.
13. 13When the sauce is ready, bring a gallon (4 litres) of water to a full boil over high heat in a large pot
14. 14Add the pasta, give it a brisk stir to ensure it is all covered by water and not clumped together. Cook for about 10–12 minutes, or until al dente (firm but not hard, there should still be a bit of 'bite' when chewing pasta, rather than soggy and mushy).
15. 15Drain the pasta well and serve immediately.
16. 16Remove the bay leaf and lemon rind, then spoon the Bolognese sauce over the pasta and have guests garnish with the grated Parmesan cheese.