The ultimate bolognese sauce

You don't just throw together a real bolognese on a weeknight. This is the kind of recipe you take your time with — and you'll be rewarded with a sauce so deep and rich you'll be blown away every time. Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 4 to 8 hours of patience on the lowest heat. The longer, the better.

Prep: 30 minutes · Cooking time: 4 to 8 hours (the longer, the better!) · Serves: a large pan full, freezes well

Ingredients

The base

• 100 g pancetta, finely diced
• 750 g mixed minced meat (beef & pork)
• 5 onions, very finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch of celery, stalks finely chopped
• 5 carrots, finely chopped

Flavourings & liquids

• 2 small tins of tomato paste (65 g each)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
• 1.5 tbsp miso
• 2 beef stock cubes (start carefully — the pancetta is already salty!)
• 2 tins of peeled tomatoes (400 g each)
• 500 g passata
• 500 ml red wine
• 500 ml whole milk (split into two 250 ml portions)
• 1 parmesan rind (a real gamechanger!)

To finish

• Optional: a knob of cold butter (for shine)

Method

1. Place a large, heavy casserole pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and render it slowly until the fat is released and the cubes are golden. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the bacon fat. Let them sweat very gently for at least 10 to 15 minutes. We want the vegetables soft and sweet, not browned hard. Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out and set aside.
2. Turn the heat up high. Add the mince to the empty pan. Brown the meat vigorously until it is truly deep brown and starts to sizzle; this searing is essential for that deep flavour. Stir in the tomato paste and fry for 3 minutes to take off the acidity. Add the sugar, dried herbs, miso and stock cubes and fry for another minute.
3. Lower the heat slightly and pour the first 250 ml of milk in with the meat. Let it simmer gently, stirring regularly, until the milk has been completely absorbed into the meat. This protects the proteins in the meat from the acidity of the wine and tomato, making the mince velvety soft.
4. Pour the red wine into the pan. Use a wooden spatula to scrape up all the tasty bits from the bottom (the fond). Let the wine reduce by about half. Return the reserved vegetables to the pan. Add the peeled tomatoes (squeeze them in with your hand), the passata and the parmesan rind.
5. Bring the sauce just below a simmer, set the heat to its very lowest setting (use a heat diffuser if you have one) and rest the lid on at an angle. Let the sauce bubble very gently for 6 to 12 hours. The longer, the more intense the flavour. If the sauce gets too thick, add a small splash of water.
6. Remove the parmesan rind. Stir the remaining 250 ml of milk through the sauce for a creamy finish. Let it warm through for another 10 minutes.

Tip: stir a knob of cold butter through just before serving for a gorgeous glossy finish.