RECIPE: Mum's Spaghetti Bolognese

This recipe is one learnt and loved from my mum who has taught me almost everything I know about cooking and baking. She's been making this spaghetti bolognese for as long as I can remember, and it's now a favourite with my boyfriend, with a couple of little twists of my own.

To start (and serve 2) you'll need 500g beef mince, 1 onion, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1 beef stock cube, Lea & Perrins, 1 garlic clove, tomato puree handful of mushrooms, 4/5 oz spaghetti and grated parmesan cheese to serve.

First, heat up a saucepan on a medium heat and throw in finely diced garlic when hot (this is an addition of mine to my mum's recipe, she isn't a garlic fan!). After 30 seconds to a minute, put diced onion in the pan and leave for 2-3 mins before adding mince and browning. Once the mince is cooked through crumble in the stock cube, add a dash of Lea & Perrins (or a whole lot if you like it with a kick like me!) and stir in well, then add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Leave to simmer. Halve or quarter the mushrooms (my own addition, also), depending on the size you want, and pop in the pan as well.

The bolognese needs around to be left for around 20 minutes to really get its flavour, so while that's simmering, boil a pan of water and cook the spaghetti. I love my spaghetti al-dente, but if you like it soft, cook it for around 7-10 minutes, depending on the brand of spaghetti you're using (Tesco's quick cook is soft in only around 5 minutes if you want speed).

The bolognese should be perfect by this time, so drain the spaghetti , put on a plate or in a bowl and serve a hearty amount of bolognese on top. Finish with a sprinkling or parmesan and enjoy!