Ragu alla bolognese is one of the most abused recipes in the world in my view. I know, because I'm guilty of it as much as anyone else. And that is not to say that the adaptations of this sauce are not good, it's just generally the proper Italian way is always going to be better in my view. This is not to be confused with bolognese alla Napoletano, which is probably closer to a spaghetti bolognese than this, as it's much more tomato based. However, a good ragu alla bolognese is what I’m making today, and honestly it is way better than any jarred crap you buy off the supermarket shelves, and a lot better for you.

You will also be surprised at how few ingredients it takes to make a really good ragu alla bolognese sauce. The only thing this sauce needs is time...lots of time. You cannot rush a sauce like this, so It's a good idea to batch cook a load of it and freeze if you want your bolognese fix anytime you want. It needs a good few hours, I’d say two hours at least low and slow, if you can give it an extra hour or two then great, as it will only get better. Like most slow cook dishes as well, it's better eaten the next day. The pasta is you serve with this is just as important as the Ragu itself, and so doesn't lend itself all that well to spaghetti. What you need is a ribbon like pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettuccine to allow the sauce to really coat the pasta. And please, make sure to mix some of the sauce in with the pasta, don't just take all that hard work you've put in and just dump it on top.

To make my ragu alla bolognese sauce you will need:

Serves 4-5 with pasta

• 150g of minced pork (ground pork)

• 350g of minced beef (ground beef)

• 100g of unsmoked pancetta (guanciale also good)

• 200ml of dry white wine, or drinking wine of your choice

• 2 small carrots

• 1 large celery stick

• 1 medium sized onion

• 2 tbsp of tomato paste

• 150ml of full fat milk

• 150-200ml of chicken stock

• Salt and pepper

• Olive if needed

• Cooked tagliatelle (about 150g per person)

• Freshly grated Parmesan to serve