Spaghetti Bolognese

Dane Simpson's take on the long-simmered Bolognese. Farm 88 beef mince browned hard, then a soffritto of finely chopped celery, carrot and onion, garlic and grated ginger, two tins of chopped tomatoes, and a slow simmer until the sauce darkens and clings to the wholemeal spaghetti. Parmesan over the top. Family-table food, no shortcuts.

The Italian instinct here (the proper ragu alla bolognese, made by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina-registered Bologna kitchens for a century) is to brown the meat hard and slow before any liquid touches it. The hard sear creates the Maillard browning that gives the ragu its colour and depth; meat added to liquid without browning first will boil rather than fry and the sauce will taste pale.

The ginger here is the unexpected ingredient. Where the traditional Bolognese uses only mirepoix (celery, carrot, onion) and garlic, a small piece of grated ginger adds a brightening sharpness that cuts through the richness of the meat. Not traditional, but the kind of small change that pulls the dish into a modern Australian register.

Wholemeal spaghetti underneath the ragu rather than fresh egg tagliatelle (the proper Emilian pairing) is the home-cook compromise that makes this a weeknight rather than a weekend dish. The earthier wholemeal pasta suits the long-simmered sauce; cook it just past al dente. Parmesan grated over each plate; a glass of cold Sangiovese alongside. Kids will eat it without complaining; adults will ask for seconds.