Name: Spaghetti bolognese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: AU-Italian
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 onion, finely chopped; 500 g beef mince (or half beef, half pork); 125 ml (½ cup) dry red wine (or stock); 2 beef stock cubes, crumbled; 800 g crushed tomatoes or passata; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tsp white sugar, if needed; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 dried bay leaves; 2 sprigs thyme (or ½ tsp dried); ¾ tsp cooking salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 400 g dried spaghetti; Parmesan and parsley, to serve

Method

Heat oil over medium-high. Cook onion and garlic 3 minutes until softened.
Turn heat up, add beef and brown, breaking it up.
Add wine, simmer 1 minute, scraping the pan, until the alcohol smell goes.
Add remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer uncovered 20–30 minutes, stirring, adding a splash of water if it gets too thick. Taste for salt and sugar.
Cook spaghetti in salted water 1 minute less than the packet. Reserve a mug of pasta water, drain.
Optional but worth it: toss pasta into the sauce with about 125 ml pasta water for 1½–2 minutes until glossy and clinging. Serve with parmesan.

Tip: Worcestershire, stock cubes and a pinch of sugar (if tomatoes are sour) are the flavour tricks. For a weekend version add ¾ cup water, cover and simmer 2–2½ hours on very low.