Lunch with Michael that day was left-over ragù
Bolognese served with home made spaghetti.
Ingredients: 1kg fine mince beef, 3 - 4
tablespoons olive oil, 2 medium onions (finely chopped),
3 - 4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped), 4 - 5 chicken
livers (chopped), 250 grams unsmoked streaky bacon or
unsmoked pancetta (cut into small cubes), 500 grams
skinned chopped fresh ones or 2 tins of tomatoes, a
glass of red wine, tomoto pureè 2 teaspoons of
dry basil, 2 bay leaves and freshly ground black pepper.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish.
1. Heat some oil in a frying pan and brown the beef in a
frying pan to take out any water. You may need to do
this in batches, draining off any liquid before adding
more beef. When each batch is browned remove the beef
with a slatted spoon and put aside.
2. Then, in a large cooking pot, heat the oil, add the
onion and garlic and cook for 5 - 6 minutes, then add
bacon or pancetta and chicken livers, cook for a further
4 - 5 minutes. When this is cooked add the browned
mince, tomatoes, tomato pureè, wine, basil and
bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, stir well and
cook very gently for at least a couple of hours, longer
if possible.
3. The sauce can either be serve directly as Bolognese
with
spaghetti
or layer with lasagna, white sauce and cheese and
bake in the oven a further 30 - 40 minutes.
