The best spaghetti bolognese recipe

Made without pancetta / bacon because we didn’t have any but it was still really tasty. I would recommend: • Season everything really well as you go, especially the mince • Bake the mince separately to save time and ensure even browning (especially if you are doubling quantities to make extra) - 180 fan for about 15-20 mins checking and stirring regularly • Add chopped mushrooms to the veg mix • If you have one, save time by using a food processor to chop your veg • Add a tablespoon of sun dried tomato paste when you add the tomato purée • Add a tablespoon of good quality balsamic when you add the passata • Simmer for 2 hours to allow the flavours to fully develop • Use generous measures of dried herbs and save the fresh for garnishing with basil just before you serve

I used chorizo instead of bacon and the result was fantastic!

I cut off the bacon fat in long strips and cook them throughout to add flavour. The long strips makes the fat easy to lift out before serving. I also use a Knorr rich beef stock pot in 300ml water which adds a depth of flavour and achieves a nice consistency.

I was very disappointed because it took a lot of time and effort but turned out quite bland even after slow cooking for 4 hours. The main factor was a lack of tomato so I added a few tubes of double concentrate tomato puree and of sun-dried tomato puree plus some dried basil. This completely turned it around with a much richer and tangier flavour and the other ingredients were still tasting through. I highly recommend you add extra concentrate to suit your taste. The chilli is worth it. Use dried basil and save lots of fresh basil for serving.

If I made again, I'd use lots of dried basil instead of fresh. Swap the two cans for one carton of Passata and an equal amount of double-concentrated tomato puree plus a tube of sundried tomato puree.

A top tip given by a M starred chef is to brown your mince in the oven in a baking tray at the start of your cooking. This allows you get on with the rest of your preparation, and also stops the mince from becoming stewed in the juices. It works - I use this method in all my mince dishes to get that nutty browned taste.

Great recipe, my fave that I've tried. Agree with frandmckay (below) that garlic should be added just 2-3 minutes before the mince. I'd also suggest using a blender to chop everything else in one go, making things easier/quicker (and giving very fine pieces, which seems to make the sauce thicker). Tossing the carrots, celery and onion all in there while the bacon fried, then doing the same with the basil and chilli, made it less laborious.

To the poster saying this was incredibly bland... as with any recipie use some common sense. The recipie fails to call for salt and pepper, likely accidentally omitted due to the fact that adding salt and pepper to taste is usually something that anyone with any sense at all just does naturally when cooking anything anyhow. If you followed this to the letter then it would be very bland. Also if it's too watery you can tell that before you taste it even, so simply leave off the lid, turn up the heat and let it cook down. The same goes for the thug about it being bland. You didn't taste it before you were done cooking it? That's your problem right there, as no sauce calling for this many seasonings could ever be bland.

I love this recipe for the mix of ingredients - I've used it a few times now. The taste is great! The method is poorly written in my opinion though - like someone tried to pack it down into too few steps. I suggest a few refinements to really get the most out of your ingredients: Step 1: Don't add the garlic until the rest of the veg is nearly done. Garlic burns very easily - it only needs 2-3 minutes to release the flavours before you add the mince. Add some salt & pepper here, but don't go crazy if your bacon is salty. Step 2: After the meat is browned, add the tomato paste and TWICE the amount of wine. Let it cook, stirring, until the alcohol cooks off and it reduces down to what would have been the amount of wine called for. This way you get the flavour in your sauce without the 'wine-y' alcohol effect - save that for the glass alongside! Keep tasting as you go - I can't believe this recipe doesn't call for salt and pepper! Don't be afraid to add it - tomatoes take salt like sponges. If your sauce gets thick before the time is up, add some stock and keep going. The cook time is about more than thickening the sauce - its about cooking off the acid from the tomato and letting the flavours of everything meld. Better to add liquid and let it keep cooking than to cut it off too soon. I hope this helps someone make a killer sauce - this is a GREAT simple recipe. Just needs a little technique to make it brill!