Sauté the vegetables: Place your large pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil shimmers and smells warm, tip in the onion, celery, and carrot. Stir them with a wooden spoon, and let them cook for about 8 minutes. You’ll see them soften and become translucent, and the kitchen will fill with a sweet, earthy fragrance. The onions should look glassy, not coloured.

Add the garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one minute more. The aroma will change sharply, becoming pungent and appetising. Watch carefully; garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. As soon as you can smell it, you’re ready for the next step.

Brown the beef mince: Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the beef mince to the pan, breaking it apart with your spoon. Listen for a loud, satisfying sizzle. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. You should see deep brown patches forming on the meat where it touches the pan, which is exactly what you want. If the pan looks dry or the meat is releasing a lot of liquid, cook a little longer until that liquid evaporates and the browning begins.

Stir in the tomato purée: Add the tomato purée and stir it through the meat and vegetables for two minutes. The colour will darken to a rich brick red, and the smell will become more concentrated and tangy. This step cooks out the raw, tinny taste of the purée.

Add the tomatoes and stock: Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the beef stock. Add the dried oregano and basil, plus a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir everything together, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift any tasty browned bits. The sauce will look quite thin and watery at this point, with a bright, fresh tomato colour.

Simmer low and slow: Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble, then immediately turn the heat down to low. You want the surface to show an occasional lazy bubble, not a rapid boil. Partially cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so. As it cooks, the colour will deepen to a rich mahogany, the liquid will reduce, and the sauce will thicken. The smell will become mellow, sweet, and deeply savoury. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper at the end of cooking.

Cook the pasta: About ten minutes before the sauce is ready, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add your pasta and cook according to the package instructions until it is al dente — tender but with a slight resistance in the centre. Just before you drain it, scoop out a mugful of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.

Marry the sauce and pasta: Drain the pasta in a colander, then tip it directly into the pan of sauce. Toss everything together with tongs over a low heat for a minute or two. The sauce will cling to the pasta. If it looks a little thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. You’re aiming for a glossy, emulsified sauce that coats each strand without being watery.

Serve immediately: Divide the pasta among warm bowls. Finish each portion with a generous grating of fresh Parmesan and a scattering of chopped parsley. The sauce should be rich and velvety, the pasta perfectly coated, and every bite full of the slow-cooked flavour you’ve built.