Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Bolognese is a delicious Italian meal with a meaty sauce. While I prefer to make my sauce using ground beef, you could instead use pork. A nice dry red wine should also be added to the sauce since it will make the flavor richer and more interesting. Simply swap out the alcohol for low-sodium beef broth if you don't want to use it.
Broad, flat noodles like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine are eaten with an Italian bolognese sauce that is traditionally cooked in the northern city of Bologna. or simply the spaghetti, as in this instance. let's jump into the recipe now..
15 mins 1 hour 1 hr 15 mints
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)1 onion (finely chopped)2 fresh rosemary sprigs6 rashers dry-cured higher-welfare smoked streaky baconolive oil500g beef (minced)180ml of red wine280g of sun-dried tomatoes2 cans of plum tomatoes (2 x 400g)250g of dried spaghettiExtra virgin olive oilParmesan cheeseFresh basil leaves (for garnish)
Steps
1. Set the oven to 180°C/350°F for pre-heating.
2. Pick the rosemary, chop it finely, then peel and chop the garlic and onions and the bacon, too.
3. Stirring periodically, sauté the bacon, rosemary, garlic, and onion in a little amount of oil in a casserole pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until tender.
4. Pour in the wine after cooking the minced beef for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it begins to brown, breaking it up with the back of a spoon as you go. Leave to cook and bubble.
5. In the meantime, drain the sun-dried tomatoes, place them in a food processor, and pulse until a paste forms. Add the paste to the pan with the tomatoes. Stir well while breaking up the plum tomatoes slightly.
6. It should be covered with a lid and cooked for one hour in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and stir the mixture; if it appears a bit dry at this point, add a little water to assist it along.
7. Cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water as directed on the packet 10 minutes just before time is up.
8. After the spaghetti is done cooking, drain it, saving a cup of the cooking liquid, and add a few spoonful of Bolognese, a good grating of Parmesan, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil back to the pan.
9. If necessary, add a little boiling water to help the spaghetti loosen up as you toss it to coat.
10. Serve the spaghetti in bowls or plates with a generous dollop of Bolognese and a fine grating of Parmesan on top. Garnish wit some fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!
