Spaghetti bolognese

Ingredients

  - 30g butter
  - 500g spaghetti
  - 3 tbsp olive oil
  - 225g smoked back bacon, finely diced
  - 2 onions, finely diced
  - 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  - 2 large carrots, finely diced
  - 3 sticks celery, finely diced
  - 500g minced lamb
  - 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  - 2 tbsp tomato puree
  - 250ml white wine
  - 3 finely pared strips lemon zest
  - 1 bay leaf
  - 3 sprigs parsley
  - Salt and freshly ground pepper
  - Freshly grated nutmeg
  - 10 tbsp (60g) freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. To make the bolognese sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, garlic, carrot and celery and fry for about 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in the minced lamb and stir-fry until the lamb is evenly brown and crumbly. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, wine, lemon zest, bay leaf and parsley. Lightly season with salt (the bacon is quite salty). Add pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste.
  2. Return the mixture to the boil and simmer gently for an hour until it forms a thick, flavoursome sauce, then remove the lemon zest, bay leaf and parsley. Finally, stir in 6 tbsp grated Parmesan.
  3. Just before you are ready to serve, drop the spaghetti into a pan of boiling, salted water. Cook according to packet instructions until al dente - about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and heap into a serving bowl. Add the butter and 4 tbsp more Parmesan. Toss well and serve with the sauce and extra Parmesan.