Matt Xiaxiang
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Main dishesSpaghetti alla bolognese
Posted: 24/08/2024Updated: 02/09/2024
Italian pasta dish made with a rich meat sauce of ground beef and pork, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs.
Ingredients
Servings
- 300 grams Minced beef 10%
- 300 grams Minced pork 10%
- 1 large Carrot
- 2 large Celery stalks
- 1 large Brown onion
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 500 grams Passata
- 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 100 millilitres White wine
- 150 millilitres Beef stock
- 2 medium Bay leaves
- 1 Stalk of fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 4 tablespoons Milk
- Parmesan
- 350 grams Spaghetti
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 teaspoons Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by dicing the peeled carrots, celery and brown onion as finely as you want. Heat a pan on medium-high before adding 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted and starting to bubble, add the minced beef and pork and cook until just finished - usually about 6-8 minutes. Set aside.
- Add another 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and once melted put in the diced vegetables. Fry on medium heat until softened and fragrant from caramelisation. This can take roughly 6-8 minutes depending on how large the diced vegetables are.
- Incorporate the tomato puree and stir in until fully distributed before re-introducing the cooked minced beef and pork. Season with the salt and black pepper and promptly pour in the white wine, passata and beef stock. Add the bay leaves, fresh thyme and sugar.
- Allow to simmer on a low heat for at least 90 minutes, remembering to stir occasionally to prevent it from burning. In the final 10 minutes, stir in the milk and start cooking your spaghetti to al dente.
- Once the spaghetti is cooked portion into bowls. Remove the herbs from the bolognese sauce and spoon on the spaghetti. Grate a generous amount of parmesan on top.
My notes
Cooking tips
- Finely dicing vegetables: I personally prefer finely diced vegetables as they release their flavour easier and integrates better into the sauce, allowing its flavours to blend more thoroughly with the other ingredients. It also improves the texture of the sauce.
- Cooking the meat: Brown the minced beef and pork in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. This ensures a good sear and develops deep, savoury flavours. Let the meat sit undisturbed for a few moments before stirring to achieve a caramelised crust. It is important to pay attention to the butter and adjust the temperature to prevent it from burning.
- Bolognese cooking time: Making an deeply flavoured bolognese sauce requires patience to allow the flavours to develop slowly. As a rough guide, 90 minutes is a good balance of time and flavour but if you're tight for time, simmering for at least 30 minutes should be sufficient.
Alternative ingredients
- Red wine can also be used in place of white wine for a deeper, more robust flavour and a darker colour to the sauce. However, using white wine has a more delicate and subtle flavour that enhances the taste of the meat and vegetables without overpowering them. The acidity complement the sweetness of the sautéed onions, carrots, and celery, as well as the richness of the meat.
- If you can't use wine, substitute with the same volume of beef stock.
- Using chopped tomatoes instead of passata is common and gives a more acidic and slightly weaker tomato flavour - use slightly more sugar to balance this acidity. Using passata gives a smooth, rich sauce with a more concentrated tomato flavour and less acidity.
Storage instructions
- Refrigeration: Store the bolognese sauce and any leftover spaghetti in separate airtight container in the fridge. It can be safely stored for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Place the bolognese sauce in a freezer-safe container or bag, making sure to remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Re-heating instructions
If re-heating from frozen, ensure it has fully defrosted whether that is overnight in the fridge out in the microwave on the defrost setting.
- Microwave: To quickly re-heat, heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even heating. Adjust the time depending on the microwave's power and portion size.
- Stove: Re-heat on the stove over medium heat. Add a little water to loosen the bolognese sauce and cook until hot throughout.
Nutrition and dietary facts
(Per serving) Calories: 542kcal (24%), Protein: 37.8g (63%), Fat: 19.1g (24%), Saturated fat: 13g (87%), Carbohydrates: 70g (25%), Sugars: 8.8g (35%), Fibre: 3g (10%)
Note: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.