A bowl lotta love

A comforting, rich and versatile meat sauce: serve it Bolognese-style with spaghetti or use it as a base for lasagne or moussaka

Rich ragu

Serves 4 Prep 10 mins plus chilling Cook 1 hr 45 mins £ 2.92 per serving 705 kcals, 15g fat, 6g sat. fat, 9g sugar

1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, halved and finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely diced 1 large carrot, finely diced 600g pack minced beef steak 3 tbsp tomato purée 2 garlic cloves, finely grated 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 150ml red wine (or use extra beef stock) 500ml beef stock 400g spaghetti 50g grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

(optional) side salad, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery and carrot. Fry over a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring, until softened and starting to colour.

2 Stir in the mince and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat, until browned.

3 Add the tomato purée, garlic and thyme, and cook for 1-2 mins more. Pour in the wine, if using, and increase the heat to boil off most of the alcohol. Reduce the heat, stir in the stock and season. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to cook gently for 1 hr–1 hr 15 mins until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 15 mins.

4 Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water, then drain the spaghetti and add to the ragu with the parmesan. Toss well and add a little pasta water to help the sauce coat the spaghetti. Serve with a side salad and extra cheese, if you like.