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alive, authentic taste, boiling water, Bolognese, carrots, celery, chopped tomatoes, diced carrots, dish, double cream, Dried porcini mushrooms, dried sage leaves, family, fat, fettuccine, garlic, healthy source of protein, Italian mixed herbs, Mary Berry, media, minced beef, olive oil, onion, pan, pappardelle, pasta, Quorn, red meat, rich, salt and pepper, sause, sensation, slow-cooker, Soffritto, spaghetti, stock, surprise, tagliatelle, taste, thick, tomatoes, translucent, turkey, vegetarians, white wine
While Brexit and Trump are still toping the headlines, it was Mary Berry who stole the media show last week with talk about the ingredients of her somewhat unorthodox Bolognese sauce.
The kitchen veteran revealed that she added double cream and white wine to her sauce, but not everyone was impressed.
Whatever we thought of her ideas, she got on thing right by following the one rule of Bolognese, which is that it must not, under any circumstances, be served with spaghetti and rather pappardelle, as she uses.
For many families, Bolognese is a mid-week staple so we have put together a tasty recipe that will make everyone happy.
For one batch, you will need:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 400g of minced beef
- 1 onion, sliced and diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 100g of carrots, grated
- 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
- 400ml of stock
- 400g pasta – ideally tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettuccine
- Salt and pepper to season
With the ingredients prepared, here’s how it goes?
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and once hot add the mince and a little salt and pepper. Cook the mince until browned then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and gently fry the onions until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for around two more minutes, then mix in the carrot and put the mince back into the pan.
- Next chuck in the tomatoes, stir and pour in the stock. Bring all of this bring to a simmer before reducing the temperature and cooking for around 45 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich.
- Cook the pasta as advised, we love fresh for a really authentic taste, then serve with the sauce and enjoy.
If you do want to have a little extra taste we do have some other ideas to bring your sauce alive.
Dried porcini mushrooms add a depth of flavour that will really surprise you. Soak the mushrooms for around 10 minutes in boiling water and add them into the sauce for a real taste sensation.
If you aren’t a big red meat-eater, why not use turkey instead. This is lower in fat but does need a little added flavour so cook this in a slow-cooker and add a few dried sage leaves over the finished dish, and enjoy.
Soffritto is a mixture of diced carrots, onion and celery, and adding it to your sauce adds extra flavour, colour and texture. Because it’s finely chopped, it clings more easily to the pasta, too.
You can add various herbs for added taste. A teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs added at the start of cooking, or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped oregano added to the meat sauce towards the end of the process, can offer depth as well as taste.
For vegetarians, you can swap the minced beef for Quorn, which is a healthy source of protein.
However you cook your sauce, enjoy eating it!
Team Pure Beauty
