Beautiful Bolognese

I think the chef Ferran Adriá is one clever man. He is famous for his thirty course gourmet menu at the now closed restaurant, elBulli in Catalonia, Spain. My husband bought his book A Day at elBulli a few years ago, which is filled with a 'behind the scenes' snapshot of the restaurant. You will also find impossible recipes to follow that sound more like science experiments....this is where the clever part comes in. Adrià recently published a 'home cooking' book The Family Meal which appeals more to a person like me (an ok cook, definitely no chef). I highly recommend the easy and hearty Bolognese recipe, which I have cooked twice now. It's almost as good as my mum's!

Pasta Bolognese by Ferran Adriá

This sauce will keep for five days in the fridge or six months in the freezer, so divide it into handy portions and freeze for later use. Makes 2.5kg.

• 225g butter
• 1.2 kg minced beef
• 350g pork sausage meat
• 500g onions
• 150g celery

• 400g carrots
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 12g tomato purée
• 1.6 kg tinned chopped tomatoes
• pinch of sugar

1. Put a large pan over a medium-high heat, then add the butter and let it melt. Add the beef mince, fry until it has changed colour, then add the sausage meat. Cook for a few more minutes, season with salt and pepper, then cook for 15 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until dark golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the onions, celery and carrots. Put another pan over a low heat, then pour in the olive oil. Fry the vegetables gently until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the meat to the vegetables and mix everything together well. Add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato puree. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Simmer the sauce for 1 ½ hours until the meat is very tender. Serve the pasta (traditionally tagliatelle) with a large spoonful of the sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!