Think of Italian cuisine and you will eventually visualise spaghetti. The most popular version is Bolognese. Whether you buy a prepared sauce or just a quick ready meal, Spaghetti Bolognese is a ‘safe bet’ for a satisfying & affordable meal.
I have been fortunate to sample this hearty supper in several regions of northern Italy and like most dishes, Spaghetti Bolognese has not travelled well. Firstly the colour, we see bright red combinations of meat and sauce, whereas in Italy the colour is more a subtle orange. Next I have been offered the sauce sat on a bed of spaghetti not passed through and mixed together with the pasta.
Flavour is another key factor. All too often the strongest flavour is beef. A good Spag Bol should have its own distinctive taste which is the mixture of fruit, herbs, spices, and meat. Time spent doesn’t mean hours watching over a pan but frequent returns to the hob allows the flavours to develop and allow for other things from housework to entertaining guests, whilst the cooking is being done. In addition, you can and should turn off the heat at the end and allow the Bol to settle. Rewarming before service using a very low heat. This is not fast food, but good food. lol
Ingredients
- 125g of low fat steak mince for 2 people
- 1/2 white onion
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 small carrot
- 1 stick of celery
- Oil for frying
- Oregano
- Basil
- Button mushrooms
- 1/4 bell pepper yellow or orange
- salt
- pepper
- hot smoked paprika (about 1tsp max)
- Tomato puree
- Chopped tomatoes
- water as needed
- Spaghetti (80g pasta per person)
- Sugar or alternative to taste
- Mixed spices (about 1tsp max)
Method
Thinly dice and/or chop the onion, pepper, celery and carrot.
Warm a deep frying to a medium heat (I prefer using the wok).
Saute the prepared veg and whole mushrooms stirring to avoid both overcooking and sticking.
After 5 minutes approximately add the mince and incorporate well.
If the pan looks dry add a few splashes of water.
Sprinkle over the herbs and stir in.
Reduce the heat to low.
When the mince looks cooked add the puree, mix, then the tomatoes again stirring and combining everything.
Leave to gently simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add more herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir again and leave for another 20 minutes.
Finally add sugar/alternative and the mixed spices. Stir and turn off the hob.
Pasta Time
Cook the pasta as per instructions and when ready gently put the Spaghetti through the Bolognese and really combine well. DO NOT discard the water as this maybe needed if the finished mixture is slightly dry. A ladle or 2 water is enough thin out the sauce.
Finally freshly grate Parmesan and you can of course use Cheddar or any hard cheese. I personally prefer one part Parmesan to 2 parts red Cheddar. Not only flavour but colourful.
When reheating the Spaghetti Bolognese do not use a high heat. The second setting is sufficient and the final dish will be piping hot and full of flavour in no time.
So much tastier than ready meals with the knowledge of exactly what is in the dish. I cooked for 2 and the yield was 3 at dinner. If it was a weekend lunch then I estimate it could have fed four.
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