This is a very standard issue beef mince sauce. All I’ve done is add a few more veggies to stretch it out, make it tastier and HIDE them from children who don’t like to eat their veg! The secret to getting this to taste extra special is to allow it to cook for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

Serves 4 – 6

• 250g lean minced beef
• 300ml tomato passata
• 150 – 200ml water
• 2 medium sized carrots, grated and finely choppped
• 170g (half a cup) of frozen peas
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• Half a teaspoon of sugar
• A small handful of chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

You could also chop mushrooms finely in a food processor and add this to the mince, it adds a ton of flavour and stretches the sauce further if you have more mouths to feed.

1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan
2. Brown the mince for 5 minutes
3. Add the onion, garlic, chopped carrots and tomato paste and fry with the mince for a couple of minutes
4. Add all the other ingredients and stir
5. Put on a low heat, close the lid and stir occasionally for the next 45 minutes to 1 hour
6. Enjoy with pasta or a jacket potato and cheese.