Behind every perfect plate of pasta is a great sauce. There’s nothing better than homemade. The sauce is the most important aspect of the recipe and it differs from region to region. Recipes from North European countries use white sauce while sauces like tomato, Arrabbiata and Carbonara are popular down south European countries. Also, you must know that tomato based sauces stick better to round pastas while flat pasta is better with a cream based sauce. You must use a bit of olive oil in tomato-based sauces to add a rich texture. One thing that you must always keep in mind is to add pasta to the sauce and not the other way round. You can also add some leftover pasta water to the sauce to enhance the flavour. The starchiness will also help in binding the sauce. Make the sauce first and let it simmer. Your pasta should be added to the sauce as soon as it is cooked.

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
600g of minced beef
500g can tomatoes chopped not drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A spoonful of sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 beef oxo cubes
A small glass of red wine
450g Good quality spaghetti

2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 600 g of minced beef 500 g can tomatoes chopped not drained 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 beef oxo cubes 450 g Good quality spaghetti

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, frying until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Fry it until it has browned, breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle the oxo cubes over the mince and stir so the colour and flavour spreads throughout the mince. Reduce the temperature and stir in the can chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.
Add the glass of red wine and season well with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer the Bolognese sauce over a gentle low heat for 1hour until its rich and thickened, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, adjust seasoning if necessary. After tasting your sauce you may wish to add the sugar to reduce any acidity from the tomatoes.
Remove the sauce from the heat to 'settle' while you cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling water. Keep the pasta al dente Drain pasta and divide between warmed plates. Pour the sauce over the pasta, garnish with parsley or basil sprig. Serve grated cheese separately. Serves 4,