(for 6)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
425g (1 lb)Minced Beef
110g (¼ lb.) Streaky Rashers
2 medium Onions
2 Med Carrots
2 Sticks Celery
110g (4 oz.) Tomato Puree
300ml (½ ) Stock or Water
Salt and Pepper
500g (1lb 2oz.) Spaghetti

This is not difficult but should be made carefully.
First dice the bacon, the onion and the carrot and celery into small cubes.

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large pan and then brown the mince in this, breaking up the mince with the back of a wooden spoon as you go, to break up all the lumps. Spoon this out of the pan into a bowl.
Clean out the pan with a piece of kitchen paper and then put on the heat with the second tablespoon of olive oil.
Cook the diced bacon in this on a high heat until it browns, then turn down the heat and add the diced onion, carrot and celery to the pan.
Turn the heat right down and cook the vegetables gently in the pan (with a lid if you can) for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften.
Add the browned mince,the tomato puree and the water or stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and then taste and reseason if necessary.
Leave the mince simmering gently on the heat for about 45 mts.
This improves the sauce a lot and is well worth doing.
The sauce can be cooked to this stage well ahead of time and chilled, or frozen for use at another time.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and boil the spaghetti until tender (usually about 12 mts)

Drain off the Spaghetti and then either serve a bed of spaghetti with a pool of the sauce on top like we do here, or else, like the Italians mix the sauce and spaghetti together in a large pan and serve ready mixed.