1. To make braciola, ask your butcher to pound the steak until it’s even and thin enough to roll. Pulse garlic, parsley, parmesan and butter in a processor to make a coarse paste. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on one side of beef. Roll up and tie securely with kitchen string.

2. To make sauce, pulse onion, celery, garlic, pancetta and parsley in a processor until finely chopped. Heat butter and oil in a large pot until foam from butter starts to subside. Add braciola; brown on all sides for about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook for 1 minute. Add vegetable mixture; cook for 5 minutes, turning beef a few times. Season, then add tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.

3. Cover pot. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, turning braciola twice. Add stock; simmer for 1 hour. The sauce should be rich, but if it becomes too thick, stir in a little stock. Transfer braciola to a serving dish. If sauce is too thin, cook for a few more minutes with lid removed. Check seasoning. Reserve a ladleful of sauce and refrigerate the braciola, which you can serve the next day (cut off the strings, slice and pour the reserved sauce over the top).

4. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving some water. Add pasta to sauce and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes, adding a little of the water, if necessary. Serve in deep, heated plates with extra parmesan.

Recipe Loukie Werle
Photography Alan Benson
Styling Mary Harris