Spaghetti Bolognese

My Dad makes the best spag bol in the world, although in our house its called spag bog (no idea why). I don't know what he puts in it that makes it so tasty, but it always tastes amazing. I made my version last night, it didn't hold a candle to Dad's but it was still nice. In my flat, we aren't big meat eaters but I have to sneak it into our diet somehow so I filled my bolognese with bacon and carrots to disguise the meat. I'm also a huge passata fan (don't think I'll ever buy a can of chopped tomatoes again) and this totally changes the sauce, makes it taste a lot more fresh and 'tomatoey'.

Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 500g Pack Lean Beef Mince
1 Onion (Diced)
1 Packet Lardons
1 Large Jar Passata
1 tbsp Tomato Purée
3 Small Carrots (Diced)
2 Cloves Garlic (Finely Chopped)
1 Packet Spaghetti
Salt, Pepper, Oregano & Olive Oil

Soften the onions and garlic in a little oil. Add the mince in small chunks, if you buy lean mince you shouldn't get too much fat, but drain away any excess. Add the lardons and fry on a low heat until mince is completely brown and the lardons are cooked. Add the passata, tomato purée, pinch of salt, pepper and a little oregano (or fresh basil if you prefer) and leave to simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. Put a large pan of salted water on the hob to heat.

After leaving the meat sauce to simmer for 15 minutes, add the carrots and leave for a further 15 - 20 minutes on a low heat so it doesn't burn. Once the water has boiled, add the packet of spaghetti - make sure it is totally submerged and leave to cook for 10-15 minutes until cooked.

I served the spaghetti bolognese with salad, home-made garlic bread (a baguette sliced with a little garlic butter spread on each slice) and of course, lashings of parmesan.
In Casa Bamford, we have different names for portion sizes created by Dad:

The Ballerina - Tiny Portion
The Allegro - Medium Portion
The Largo - Large Portion
The Wild Pig Loose In The Strawberries - No explanation needed right?

Well, the portion below is definitely a wild pig sized plateful (was bigger than it looks) and I had seconds...