Oxford SlowFoodStudent

This one was tieved from Elizabeth David (a lot from which to choose). It's really quite a simple bolognese recipe, but the addition of livers (chicken or lamb will work) gives it an extra richness that you've probably never (or rarely) experienced...without costing you much more. I bought all the meat bits from Feller, Son and Daughter in the Covered Market (the best and most expensive butcher in this part of the Western Hemisphere), cooking enough for 8, and spent £6.

This is a recipe for 4, but of all recipes it lends itself to serious bulk cooking if you'd like - and it's all in one pot (ideally some kind of casserole dish).

a little knob of butter
60g streaky bacon (chopped into lardons)
1 carrot (diced as small/rustic as you like)
1 onion (ditto)
1 little bit of celery (ditto)
180g minced beef
90g chicken livers (chopped as finely as you can - bit awkward but funny feeling)
2 tsp tomato puree or half a tin of tomatoes
1 glass of white or red wine (drink the rest with the meal)
2 glasses of strong stock (or even more wine...or water if you're feeling frugal)
seasonings: salt, pepper, nutmeg

4-500g pasta - go for good spaghetti and you're set.

Fry up the bacon in the butter on medium heat until it starts to crisp up a bit, then chuck in the vegetables. When they start to brown add in the minced beef and break it up a bit every so often, to allow it all to brown evenly (ish). Then stir in the livers and make sure that you can't see any pink bits still (they go brown as they cook). Now stir in the tomato and wine and allow the liquid to bubble for a few seconds before adding the stock/wine/water to just cover all the bulk. Cover the pan and leave it to simmer as gently as you possibly can for as long as you dare (1 hour minimum, and up to 3 hours prolly). You can therefore disappear from the kitchen for a while, before returning to taste the sauce (season if necessary) and get the water boiling for the pasta 15 mins before you want to eat.

Po'whitetrash versions (or some Italian ones) will involve stirring in some cream at the end just before serving, but if all goes to plan this is a Ragu Bolognese which you won't want to adulterate.