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... this was one of the first ‘proper’ dishes I learned to cook, which is why I thought it should be the first I post here ... it is also the first here because a long time ago I promised to give this recipe to someone I knew but I never got round to it, so this is for her too ...

... I took it originally from Robert Carrier’s ‘Great Dishes of the World’ but it has changed considerably over the years and it is now entirely my own variation ... the only other one I’ve tasted that comes anywhere near it is the lovely one that was made by Valta, the Italian who was chef at la bocca in Paxos some years ago ...

... and before committing this to my website I had a look at other people's recipes ... some of them, the better ones, are similar to mine (even Carluccio's, which he probably won't like me saying)... others can sound quite dreadful - no, worse than dreadful; disgusting - with things like worcester sauce, oxo cubes and even tins of tomato soup!

... and so, after much consideration, I can confidently say that mine certainly ranks alongside the very best in the world

serves 4-6

what to put in it

• olive oil
• three/four rashers of streaky bacon, cut into pieces about ¼ inch wide
• one medium size onion, chopped
• two cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb mince
• two tins chopped plum tomatoes
• glass of white wine
• three medium size carrots, chopped
• two sticks of celery, chopped
• three bay leaves
• zest of half a lemon
• salt and black pepper
• grated parmesan cheese
• basil leaves

how to do it

put some olive oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon quite quickly until it just starts to crisp up a bit then turn the heat down again

put the onions in the saucepan and cook them slowly until they turn translucent and slightly golden, making sure not to burn them

put the garlic in the pan and cook gently for only two or three minutes

now put the mince in the pan, turn the heat up slightly and fry the mince until it begins to brown, stirring it around and breaking it up a bit at the same time

the tins of tomatoes go in next, along with the chicken stock and the white wine

finally put in the chopped carrots, celery, bay leaves and the zest of half a lemon

all you have to do now is simmer it for an hour or so with the lid on the pan to allow the flavours to blend: and then, if necessary, continue to simmer with the lid off to reduce the sauce until it’s the sort of thickness you like

according to Carluccio you should serve it with tagliatelle which is just as well because this is definitely how I prefer it, especially if it's fresh tagliatelle; the way I like to serve it is to drain the tagliatelle once it's cooked, return it to the pan it was cooked in and mix in a couple of glugs of olive oil, some black pepper, and some torn basil leaves; it should be served one-third sauce, two-thirds pasta ...

finally, have a bowl of freshly grated parmesan on the table for people to help themselves to and, if you like, you can have a simple green salad on the side with a vinaigrette