Pasta sauce for a student away at University

 As requested: 

1-2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil 

1 medium onion or 2 shallots - chopped 

1 garlic clove minced or crushed

1 stick of celery chopped 

1/2 small fennel bulb chopped (optional)

1 carrot grated 

1/2 courgette grated 

chopped mushrooms (optional) 

500 grams minced beef

1-2 teaspoons oregano and thyme 

black pepper 

1/3 cup red wine (optional)

2 x 400 g tins tomatoes (mutti finely chopped are best)

1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 small [400 gr] bottle passata (optional) 

Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot,  add onion, celery and fennel and sauté until softened, add garlic, sauté further, add carrot, courgette and mushroom. Sauté more.  Spread out to edge of pan and add minced beef to centre of pot. Brown the beef.  Add herbs. Add wine. add tomatoes, paste and/or passata. 

Cook for at leats 30 minutes on low heat until thick and tasty.