BETTER THAN BOLOGNESE

Serves 4-6

1kg/35oz/2.2lb stewing beef or brisket, cut into large chunks

Salt and black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

100ml/3 fl oz/½ cup red wine

3 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste) 800g/28oz tinned chopped tomatoes

900ml/30 fl oz/4 cups water

1 beef stock cube

2 dried bay leaves

To serve:

450g/16oz/1lb spaghetti

Parmesan, grated

A handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1 Pat the beef dry and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2 Reduce the heat and add the remaining oil. Cook the carrot, onion and celery for 7-10 minutes until soft but not browned.

3 Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

4 Pour in the wine and bubble until it has nearly evaporated.

5 Add the remaining ingredients, including the beef and any juices it has released.

6 Increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and cook for two hours until the sauce is thick and the beef is tender.

7 Remove the beef and shred it with two forks. Stir it back into the sauce.

8 Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti. Drain, reserving 180ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup of the water. 9 Add the pasta to the sauce with the reserved water, tossing to coat for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens.

10 Serve hot with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Per Serving 638kcals, 17.5g fat (5.1g saturated), 52.2g carbs, 6g sugars, 62.9g protein, 2.9g fibre, 0.68g sodium