As a child, the one thing I really looked forward to was minced meat, and my two favourites were Shepard’s Pie,which had just the right combination of meat and mashed potatoes and Spaghetti Bolognaise, which just slid down my throat beautifully!

Bolognaise sauce is a meat-based pasta sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy. Now there are as many versions of the sauce as there are cooks in Bologna! Traditionally, the meat was simmered for four to six hours, the basic principle being that the longer the sauce simmered, the richer the flavour and consistency. While cooking, be sure to stir it regularly so that it doesn’t stick, always using a wooden spoon. Metal can oxidise in contact with the tomato and leave an unpleasant metallic taste.

If red meat is an absolute no-no, use chicken mince instead. Extra additions like mushrooms, can be added while the vegetables are cooking in the beginning. This adds extra body to the sauce. Before the tomatoes are added, you can very easily add some wine too. After the sauce has cooked, cream can always be added.

lIngredients: 400gm ground meat; 3 tbs olive oil; 1 tbs butter; 4 onions, chopped; 6-8 cloves garlic; 800gm peeled tomatoes; 2-3 tbs tomato paste; 3 bay leaves; 2 carrots, peeled and sliced; 1 celery stalk; 1/2 cup red/white wine; 1/2 cup fresh basil; 250ml chicken stock; 3 tbs cream; salt and pepper to taste; 1lb spaghetti; Parmesan cheese for garnish

lMethod: Chop vegetables. Saut? onion, carrot and celery over low heat in oil (or oil and butter). Sweat the vegetables till they colour slightly. Add garlic, stirring well. Add ground meat and cook over low heat, breaking the meat up with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the wine. Increase the heat and cook until the wine evaporates. Add the quartered tomatoes and tomato paste, thinned with a little tomato juice, water or stock. Season withbay leaves and basil, and combine well. Increase the heat to medium so that the sauce boils gently. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-3 hours, adding more broth as necessary. If using cream, add it an hour before the end of the cooking time. The cream will cut some of the tomato’s acidity. Remove bay leaves before serving.