Spaghetti with Bolognese Meat Sauce

Instructions

Combine the onion, carrot, celery and fennel, if using, and chop them finely. This mixture is called a battuto in Italian and forms the flavor base of the sauce.

Cut the ham or bacon into small cubes and cook them in a heavy saucepan. Add the butter and let it melt, then stir in the battuto.

Cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are very lightly browned. Tip the mixture into a heavy pot.

Heat the olive oil in the same skillet used for the vegetables. When it is hot, add the beef and break up the lumps, cooking until it is well browned, then add it to the pot.

Pour the wine into the skillet and stir over high heat, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and stock until smooth, then add this to the pot.

Drain and coarsely chop the plum tomatoes and add them to the pot along with the bay leaf and lemon rind. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat until the surface barely bubbles.

Simmer for an hour or more, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the sauce is nearly ready, bring a gallon (4 litres) of water to a full boil in a large pot. Add the spaghetti, stir briskly so it does not clump, and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, until al dente with a little bite left.

Drain the pasta well and serve at once. Remove the bay leaf and lemon rind from the sauce, spoon it over the spaghetti, and let everyone add grated Parmesan at the table.