Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil30 g
• 1 large finely diced brown onion150 g
• 2 finely diced carrots140 g
• 2 finely diced celery sticks100 g
• 3 crushed garlic cloves12 g
• 500 g beef mince500 g
• 2 heaped tbsp tomato paste60 g
• ½ cup red wine125 g
• 2 × 400 g tins whole peeled tomatoes800 g
• 1 cup beef stock250 g
• 400 g dried spaghetti400 g

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a good pinch of salt and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then, until everything has softened and the onion is translucent. Don't rush it and don't let it brown. You're after sweetness, not colour.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until you can smell it.
3. Turn the heat up. Add the mince and break it up with a wooden spoon. Leave it alone in patches so it browns rather than steams, about 8 minutes. If the pot is crowded, do it in two batches.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it darkens slightly and coats everything.
5. Pour in the wine and scrape the base of the pot to lift everything stuck to it. Let it bubble until nearly gone, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the tinned tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or the spoon, then the stock. Bring to a simmer.
7. Turn the heat right down, half-cover, and leave it for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. It's ready when the fat separates out and sits orange on the surface. Season with salt and pepper.
8. In the last 10 minutes, cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, keeping a cup of the water.
9. Toss the drained pasta through the sauce in the pot, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce clings. Serve straight away.