Alf’s Bolognese Sauce

Our dear Venezuelan friend Alf came to stay with us for a year and left us with memories of many delicious meals and his fabulous bolognese sauce recipe.  The cooking time looks long but for most of this, the sauce is simmering away gently on its own, requiring minimal supervision.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a gentle heat.  Add the chopped onions and cook gently for about 10 minutes until they are soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
2. Remove the onions and garlic to a bowl.  Turn the heat up and fry the pancetta.  When crispy at the edges add to the onion mixture.
3. Gently cook the chopped carrots and celery for around 5-10 minutes until softened.
4. Over a high heat, brown the mince in the oil left from the pancetta.  You will need to poke and prod at it to break it up and make sure that all of the mince browns.
5. When the mince is browned, add the onion/pancetta mix back in and the remaining ingredients.
6. Bring the mixture to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer for one to one and a half hours, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the sauce has thickened.

serve with cooked spaghetti or penne pasta and lots of freshly grated parmesan.