Spaghetti alla Bolognese - Italian Meat Sauce Recipe

This very rich meat sauce is a typical Italian sauce. Serve 4 or 5.

Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
2 T. butter or margarine
4 T. olive oil
1/4 lb. salt pork, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 strip lemon peel
1 bay leaf
4 T. tomato puree
10 oz. rich beef stock
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated nutmeg to taste
4 T. heavy cream
Grated Parmesan cheese
Butter

Step 1. Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan; add salt pork, onion, carrots and celery. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally until salt pork browns. Stir in ground beef and brown evenly, stirring continuously. Add lemon peel, bay leaf, tomato puree, beef stock and wine and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Step 2. Cover pan and simmer the sauce very gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lemon peel and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly. Add cream and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Step 3. Cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente (firm to the bite, but not soft or mushy). Serve with Bolognese sauce and freshly grated Parmesan. Dot with butter.