The old standby - spaghetti bolognese

I'm going to start with a perennial favourite - a good standby.  It is also great for breaking the ice with a group of people you don't know, as it is impossible to stand on your dignity when eating spaghetti.

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

serves 4

approx 1lb of Minced beef

1  chopped onions

1 or 2 cloves of garlic (that is the individual segments within the bulb)  (optional)

Mushrooms (optional)

1 teaspoon of basil           )

1 teaspoon of oregano      )  just use mixed herbs if you don't have these in

1 teaspoon of marjoram     )

1 beef stock cube

at least half a pint of boiling water

1  tablespoon of flour - any will do.

Tomato puree

1 tins of tomatoes

Worcestershire sauce

2 to 3oz of dry pasta per person

• Put a large pan on the hob and heat it up.  Add the mince a little at a time and brown in the heat, no oil needed as the fat from the mince will liquefy.  
• Chop the onions and crush the garlic
•  As the mince is browning add the chopped onions and cook until they are translucent, add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further minute or two. 
• Strain the mince through a sieve to get rid of the excess fat - the best way to do that is to put it into the sieve and then put the sieve over the top of the pan for around 15 mins that way the fat will go into the pan instead of clogging up your drains. 
• After 15 mins wipe the pan out with kitchen paper to remove the fat - even if there is a lot, just let it soak into sheets of kitchen paper - then return the mince and onions to the pan.  It looks pretty unappetizing at this point but persevere. 
• Put the pan back on the heat  to reheat the mince and onions, keep stirring it, add the flour to the mince - stir it in so that the mince and onions are coated.  Remove from heat.
• Open the  tomatoes, add to the mixture but check each tomato and cut off the stem end of each as it will be unpleasant in the mouth. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, put the juice in with them - don't hold back. Also add about a 3 inch squeeze of tomato puree.  Return to the heat and bring to the boil stirring all the time, the mixture should thicken.  If  it is too thick you can add boiling water until it is the desired consistency. 
• Break up the stock cube and add to the pan. 
• Season according to your preference with salt and black pepper.
• A really good dash of worcestershire sauce makes it just heavenly. 
• Simmer over a low heat for about 10 - 15 minutes stirring from time to time.

Place pasta in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil, simmer until just done - take a piece out and break with a fork - it should be soft with just a bit of a bite to it.   Forget everything you ever read or heard about throwing it at the wall to see if it is done - it's messy and just not necessary, not to mention unreliable.

Lastly - when the pasta is cooked, strain it, and then put the pasta into the sauce and mix well, never the other way round.  For a nice touch grate some cheese over the top of the dish.

Serve with salad and crusty bread, or just dig in.