Beef mince and tomato ragù

• spaghetti↗400g g

  or other pasta

• cherry tomatoes↗100g g

  quartered (use a mix of colors)

• mascarpone↗1 tbsp tbsp
• basil↗1 bunch

  coarsely chopped

• parmesan↗

  for serving

• olive oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• small onion1

  finely chopped

• clove of garlic↗1

  minced

• celery↗½

  stem, finely chopped

• small carrot1

  finely chopped

• beef mince↗500g g

  10 % fat

• tomato-vegetable puree3 tbsp tbsp
• passata↗200ml ml
• milk↗50ml ml

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat half of the oil in a pan, add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, then add the garlic, celery and carrot and cook until they become tender. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a separate pan and brown the mince in batches, removing each batch with a slotted spoon and leaving excess oil in the pan.

2. 2

   Add the mince to the vegetables, then stir in the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute. Add the passata and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on very low heat for 1½–2 hours, then add the milk and cook for another 30 minutes. If you prepared the base in advance, you can let it cool at this stage and then freeze it for up to a month. (Fully thaw before using in the next step.)

3. 3

   Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions.

4. 4

   Transfer the mince base to a pan and bring to a gentle boil. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the mascarpone and basil. Serve over the spaghetti and sprinkle with parmesan, if desired.