Years ago I lived in a tiny bedsitter in the north London district of Muswell Hill, where I recall subsisting mostly on risotto, Leicester cheese, Branston pickle and Jacob’s Cream Crackers. But once a week, the young Welsh newlywed who lived down the hall would make her husband’s favorite — “spag bol,” as they short-form it in England — and occasionally she would invite me in for a taste. At the time I thought it delicious, due in large part, no doubt, to my growling turn.

Many years later in Italy I tasted the real thing and learned that, in fact, the Bolognese would never dream of eating this meaty sauce with spaghetti — preferring tagliatelle, maccheroni, fettuccine or rigatoni. I like it best with long-cut ziti, but would enjoy it just as much simply spooned onto good bread! Use this sauce to make the world’s greatest lasagna.

This recipe produces a rich, meaty, almost dry preparation with colorful flecks of carrot and a flavor that can only result from good red wine and a lengthy cooking time. Although some versions of this dish call for the addition of tomatoes, I prefer to use a small amount of good tomato paste.