I make mine almost the same way as Cailin - except that I brown the meat first, then drain the fat through a colander. I then fry onion and garlic, add bacon or pancetta, a heap of fresh rosemary and a bay leaf, then add carrot, zucchini, mushrooms, celery (which I either very finely chop or grate if I can't be bothered chopping). I throw in some red wine, reduce slightly, add passata, tomato paste and liquid stock (vege or beef), a tiny bit of sugar (less than a tablespoon) if the tomatoes are a bit bitter, cover and simmer for at least 2-3 hours until everything is so tender and yummy and flavoursome. If the sauce needs to reduce a bit, uncover and boil at the end of the cooking time.

I usually do a whole heap of it (2kg of mince) then freeze most of it. If I'm doing lasagne the sauce should be a little wetter and I add double cream before layering.