Spaghetti bolognese is a fantastic comfort food meal to have during this Autumn season and is very healthy too. You can also add lots of other vegetables to it as a great way to use leftover vegetables in the fridge. It is easy to make it suitable for vegetarians as the beef mince can be swapped for a vegetarian mince substitute such as Quorn. The recipe is adapted from http://www.bbc.co.uk/food

Serves 4.

Ingredients.

1. 2 tablespoons olive oil

2. 400 grams beef or quorn mince

3. 1 onion, diced (you can use frozen chopped onion)

4. 2 garlic cloves, chopped (you can buy a jar of ready-chopped garlic)

5. 100 grams carrot, grated

6. 1 x 400 grams tin chopped tomatoes (you can buy a jar of ready-made pasta sauce if this is easier)

7. 400ml stock, or 1 stock cube

8. 400 grams spaghetti

9. Salt and pepper.

Method.

1. Add a tablespoon of oil to a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and fry gently for 5-6 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the grated carrot or other vegetables at this point, stir and cook for a few more minutes.

2. Add the mince into the saucepan with the vegetables, stir and cook until the meat is well browned over a medium-high heat.

3. If using a jar of pasta sauce pour this in now and omit the stock. If making the sauce from scratch, add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and rich. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

4. When ready to cook the spaghetti, heat a large saucepan of water and add a pinch of salt. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. Once the spaghetti is cooked through, drain and add to the pan with the bolognese sauce. Mix well and serve, ideally with grated cheese sprinkled on top and a green salad on the side.