Pippa's spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients

• ½ carrot
• ½ onion (medium)
• 1 celery stick
• 50g pancetta rashers
• 15g butter, unsalted
• 15ml olive oil
• 250g minced pork
• 250g minced beef
• 150ml red wine
• 3 ½ tsp tomato purée, heaped
• 1.2l vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaves
• 2 oregano, sprigs, fresh
• 300g spaghetti, dried weight
• 50g parmesan cheese, grated

Method

1. Peel the onion, scrub the carrot, then very finely chop along with the celery. Finely chop the pancetta.
2. Melt the butter with 1 splash of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
3. Fry the pancetta for 1 minute, then add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 10 minutes, or until starting to soften.
4. Add the mince and fry for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned all over and any liquid has evaporated. Stir regularly, breaking the mince up with the back of a spoon.
5. Pour the wine into the pan and let it bubble away, then stir in the tomato purée, and cook for a minute or two, before pouring in the stock.
6. Add the bay, then pick, finely chop and stir in most of the oregano.
7. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring every now and then.
8. When the Bolognese is nearly ready, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions.
9. Season the Bolognese to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then remove and discard the bay leaf.
10. Reserving some of the cooking water, drain the pasta and add to the Bolognese. Toss well until lovely and glossy, adding a splash of the cooking water to loosen, if needed.
11. Divide the spaghetti between plates and finely grate over a generous amount of Parmesan. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle over the reserved oregano leaves.