Prince William shares spaghetti bolognese recipe he used to woo wife Kate in new cookery book

The Duke of Cambridge has shared the ingredients to his signature dish

• Prince William has revealed the spaghetti bolognese recipe that helped him "impress" wife Kate.
• The Duke of Cambridge added the dish to a new homeless cookery book A Taste Of Home, so fans can copy his meal.
• It comes as Prince William contracted coronavirus but kept it a secret because he ‘didn’t want to worry anyone’

Prince William has revealed his secret ingredients to a popular pasta dish that helped him "impress" wife Kate when they were dating.

William, 38, shared the recipe for homemade bolognese sauce, alongside 120 other recipes from top chefs and celebrities, that make up the book, to mark the 40th anniversary of The Passage homelessness charity.

And wife Kate, with whom he has three children Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five and Prince Louis, two, admitted it was one of the dishes he used to try woo her.

READ MORE: Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘staycation’ at surprising UK holiday spot

Speaking to Mary Berry on A Berry Royal Christmas, Kate spilled, "In university days he used to cook all sorts of meals. I think that's when he was trying to impress me! Things like Bolognese sauce."

The couple met when they were both studying at St Andrew's University in Scotland.

Meanwhile William admitted he wasn't the best when it comes to cooking. He  said, "I am the first to admit that I am not an excellent chef. The last time I was allowed into the kitchens at The Passage I made a spaghetti bolognese."

"What struck me the most was how sharing makes people who are experiencing homelessness feel right at home."

READ MORE: Prince William and Kate Middleton to break royal tradition to ensure Prince George’s happiness

He continued, "Having a place to call home is precious... For those without a place to call home the pandemic has been even more frightening."

But it seems these days Kate is left to do most of the cooking at home - whether it be at their Anmer Hall residency or Kensington Palace.

William added, "I can do tea... but not cooking. Catherine is definitely the one who cooks, not me."

Prince William's homemade spaghetti bolognese ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, scrubbed and chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• 350g best quality lean beef
• 250ml dry white wine
• 120ml milk
• Pinch of nutmeg, freshly ground
• 1 x 400g tin Italian chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 250g spaghetti or bucatini
• 50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

To make the sauce, heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat until just softened, then add the carrot and celery and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring.

Use a fork to crumble the mince and add that to the pan, stirring to mix all together. Cook until the meat is no longer pink but do not let it brown. Pour in the wine and continue cooking until it has all evaporated. Then turn down the heat and stir in the milk and nutmeg, and cook over a medium heat until the milk has evaporated. Stir through the tomatoes and purée then season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer very, very gently, uncovered, for about three hours, stirring from time to time.

When your sauce is ready, bring a big pot of water to the boil and add a teaspoon of salt. Add the pasta to the water, stir well with a wooden spoon and cook as per the packet instructions. Drain well. Divide the pasta between four bowls and add the hot sauce to each serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve the parmesan in a small dish.