Spaghetti Bolognese

Allow 25 minutes to weigh and prepare everything. Cut the onion, carrot and celery into roughly 5mm dice, chop the garlic, grate the Parmesan and prepare the stock to packet strength. Divide the beef into approximately 330g, 330g and 340g portions. Measure four 5ml portions of oil. Keep raw mince chilled below 5°C until needed and within its use-by date; follow the label and use within 24 hours of opening. Wash hands and clean utensils and surfaces after handling raw meat. Use the 6-litre casserole for sauce and a separate pasta pan of at least 7 litres. Start with chilled, fully defrosted mince; thawing time is not included. Set out six serving bowls during this preparation allowance.

Heat the casserole over medium-high heat with the first 5ml oil for about 2 minutes, until the oil shimmers but does not smoke. Add the first beef portion and cook for approximately 10 minutes, breaking up clumps and turning as it develops browned patches. Transfer to the heatproof bowl. Repeat with the second and third portions, adding 5ml oil for each and allowing approximately 10 minutes per batch, 30 minutes in all. If moisture collects, let it evaporate rather than adding the next batch. Lower the heat if the brown residue starts to blacken. Spoon off excess rendered fat, leaving a thin film; do not pour hot fat into the sink. Browning is for flavour, not the final safety check: the meat will return to the sauce.

Reduce to medium-low heat. Add the final 5ml oil, then the onion, carrot and celery. Stir and cook for approximately 12 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have softened without dark edges. Scrape up the browned meat residue as the vegetables release moisture. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the purée darkens slightly and the garlic smells fragrant, not burnt.

Return all the beef and collected juices to the casserole. Pour in the 400ml stock and scrape the base to release any browned residue. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juices, oregano, both bay leaves and all the black pepper. Stir thoroughly and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, allowing about 5 minutes for returning the meat, adding the liquids and heating them.

Turn the heat low and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer gently for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the base to prevent catching. Look for small, lazy bubbles rather than a hard boil. Keep the lid closer to closed if the liquid reduces before the vegetables become tender. Do not start cooking the spaghetti yet.

Uncover and simmer for about 9 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and a spoon drawn across the base leaves a brief trail. The sauce should be thick but still moist, without a puddle of watery liquid. If it is still watery, continue reducing now, before heating the pasta water; add the extra minutes to the total. Do not cook or drain the spaghetti while the sauce still needs substantial reduction.

Allow about 2 minutes for stirring, temperature checks, bay-leaf removal and probe cleaning. Stir thoroughly, then use a clean digital food thermometer in several places, including the centre, without touching the pan. Ensure the sauce and mince reach at least 75°C and remain there for 30 seconds. The beef must be cooked all the way through and the sauce steaming hot throughout; colour alone is not a reliable endpoint. If needed, keep cooking and repeat the checks before starting the pasta, adding the extra time to the schedule. Remove and discard both bay leaves and clean the probe after use.

Only once the sauce is reduced and safely cooked, put the 4 litres water and 20g salt into the pasta pan. Cover and heat on high until it reaches a rolling boil, allowing about 13 minutes. Meanwhile, cover the sauce and keep it over the lowest heat that maintains small, gentle bubbles; stir occasionally so it does not catch or reduce further. If the water takes longer to boil, keep the sauce gently hot and add the extra minutes to the total. Before adding spaghetti, check that the sauce is still hot, thick but moist and ready to receive it.

Remove the pasta-pan lid, add all 450g spaghetti and stir as it softens to separate the strands. Keep the sauce covered and gently hot while the pasta cooks. Read the packet al-dente time and begin checking the spaghetti 1–2 minutes before that point. Drain when the strands bend readily but still have a small, distinctly firm centre, rather than already being fully tender; they will finish cooking in the sauce. For spaghetti with a 10–11-minute packet time, budget about 10 minutes in all for roughly 8–9 minutes boiling plus reserving water and draining; other packets and thicknesses may need longer. Before draining, scoop out 200ml cooking water into a heatproof jug. Drain without rinsing and transfer straight to the ready sauce, rather than leaving drained pasta waiting. If the pasta takes longer, keep the sauce gently hot and add the extra time.

Immediately add the drained spaghetti and 100ml reserved cooking water to the casserole over low heat. Fold and turn gently with tongs for about 3 minutes until the strands are evenly coated and just tender with a little bite, no longer hard in the centre. Keep the casserole on the hob rather than lifting or shaking this heavy batch. Add up to the remaining 100ml reserved water only if needed to loosen the sauce; discard unused reserved water. Check the texture rather than relying on the clock, and extend the finish if the centre is still hard, adding that time to the total.

Allow about 4 minutes after the toss to taste, add up to 2g salt only if needed, and divide the spaghetti and beef sauce evenly among six bowls. Bear the Parmesan in mind when seasoning. Scatter all 60g grated Parmesan equally over the bowls, 10g per portion, and serve straight away. These are six generous adult portions. There is no scheduled cooling or resting stage.