This sauce is great with spaghetti or any pasta, with gnocchi, rice or a baked potato. You may want to add some stock or tinned tomatoes to make it thinner. (It is also delicious if you add some smoked bacon/pancetta/ground pork to the mixture). It can also be used to make lasagne. Or top with pastry instead of mash to make a pie.

You can add other ingredients to this mixture, either to bulk it out or vary the taste. If you want to feed more people, or can’t afford as much mince, add a tin of baked beans or more diced vegetables. It is a great way to use up limp celery and peppers, mushrooms that are reaching the end of their life. Just chop up any vegetable and add.

You can convert this to a chilli. Add some diced chilli or chilli powder when you add the salt and pepper. Add 1 tin of kidney beans (or baked beans) for the last 20 minutes’ cooking. I like to add ½ tsp of ground cumin and coconut cream (one sixth of a pack) too.

YOU WILL NEED

500g minced beef 1½ large onions — finely chopped 1 large carrot — finely chopped 2 sticks celery — finely chopped 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 tbs tomato purée 1 tbs sunflower oil Salt and pepper 1 clove garlic (optional) 1 tsp or more oregano (optional) Good shake of Worcestershire sauce (optional) 1.8 kg potatoes — (peeled and cut into equal sized bits, boiled and mashed with 225ml milk and 25g butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste) 2 tomatoes for garnish

METHOD

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the diced onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes and then add the carrot and celery (and garlic and oregano if using) and sauté for a further 5 minutes.

Add the mince and break up with wooden spoon. Keep cooking and mixing until there are no lumps.

Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce (if using) and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, cook for 15–60 mins, stirring from time to time. (The longer the better the flavour).

Preheat oven to 180C/gas 6. Make mash Place mince mixture in an ovenproof dish and carefully spread the mashed potato over the top. Use a fork to help spread the mash, garnish with tomato wedges and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the mash has started to colour.