Instructions

1. Finely chop the carrot, celery stick, brown onion and garlic cloves in a food processor.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat with some olive oil and butter.
3. Cook the vegetable mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
4. Turn the heat up to high.
5. Add the freshly ground beef and cook until well-browned.
6. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.
7. Add the tinned diced tomatoes, herbs and sugar. I add the sprigs of herbs whole and allow it to cook down in the sauce, and remove the stems at the end of the cooking time. During the cooking time, the leaves will have fallen off the oregano or marjoram sprigs, but the basil sprigs should be mostly intact.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Cook over very low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
10. As the sauce thickens, I tend to thin it with some boiling water.
11. Taste for seasoning.
12. Just before serving, stir through the chopped parsley.
13. To serve, stir the cooked spaghetti through the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes on the stove to allow the pasta to absorb some of the bolognese sauce.
14. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.