This is the recipe which got me through uni. For a simple variation, add kidney beans and use as a nacho topping.

Takes 30 mins.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

Spaghetti
400 g	spaghetti
	olive oil	a glug
1 tsp	salt
Bolognese Sauce
1 Tbsp	vegetable oil	for frying
3 cloves	garlic	diced
1	onions	chopped
250 g	mushrooms
2	bayleaves
400 g	beef mince	frozen or fresh
4	tomatoes	or canned tomatoes
0.25 cups	water
1 tsp	salt	or more, to taste
1 Tbsp	sugar	or more, to taste
1 tsp	oregano	to taste
40 ml	parmesan cheese	garnish

Instructions

Begin by setting a pot of water with 1tsp salt and a glug of olive oil on the boil. Once it boils, add pasta. Leave it on a rolling boil until it's al-dente. If it finishes boiling early, drain the water, cover with a lid, and set aside. Fry the chopped onion and diced garlic in oil until transparent. Rince the mushrooms and remove the stems. Slice off and discard the bottom sliver of the stems (it's usually dirty), but leave the stems whole (it adds a nice chunky texture). Slice the caps, and add everything (caps and whole stems) to the pan. Fry with the onion until they release their water and shrivel. Add bayleaves and minced meat. It's okay if the meat is still frozen at the time of cooking; just cook it on one side for a bit, flip it over, scrape the cooked meat off the top side, and repeat until it's cooked through. While the mince is cooking, boil some water and blanch the tomatoes so the skin can be easily peeled off. Drop them into cold water and remove the skins. Also remove the green, hard parts just beneath the stem. (You can of course just buy a can of peeled tomatoes, or even tomato sauce.) Add water, sugar, salt and oregano. Reduce heat to a simmer, and stir regularly. Break up the tomatoes with the spatula as you stir. Taste, and add any extra salt or sugar as needed (the sugar hides the acidity of the tomatoes). Serve the sauce over the pasta, and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and parsley.