Spaghetti Bolognese Cooking made easy

Spaghetti Bolognese is probably the most well known Italian dish on the planet. Everyone has their own recipe. Traditionally chicken or veal livers were an integral part of the recipe, but, like everyone else, I have my own preference. Carrots. That’s right, this recipe uses ground beef and carrots. Not completely unusual, but it makes a nice change and tones down the meat flavor a little. Don’t get me wrong, I like the taste of meat, but try this recipe for a change and see what you think.

This sauce can be used for a wide variety of Italian dishes, not just on spaghetti. My Lasagna recipe calls for this sauce, and it also makes a great meat and macaroni pie, or as a pizza topping. It’s a very simple, easy to make recipe that will take no more than half an hour, including preparation time. This recipe serves four.

You will need:

Equipment:

• A skillet or heavy bottomed saucepan
• A wooden spoon
• A sharp knife
• A chopping board
• A colander
• A large saucepan

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 rashers of un-smoked bacon (streaky bacon for English readers)
• 1 teaspoon dried mixed Italian herbs
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 8 oz can of chopped plum peeled tomatoes
• 1 can of water
• 1 oxo or other beef bouillon cube
• 4 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb spaghetti ( or any other pasta you prefer)
• 1 large bottle of wine (some of it is going in the sauce)

First, open the wine, pour and sip. Next dice the onion carrots and garlic. Chop the bacon in to small pieces. Add the olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon, onion, garlic and carrots for abou 5 minutes. Next, add the ground beef and cook until the meat browns. Now add the tomatoes, fill the can with water and add also. Then add the tomato puree, herbs and a ¼ cup of red wine. At last I hear you cry, he put some in the food. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes. In a separate pan, cook the pasta as per the instructions. Some pasta takes longer than others, but my preference is for fresh linguine or spaghetti, but dried pasta is also good. Drain the pasta, and divide between the plates. Top the pasta with the sauce, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, grated black pepper and a sprig of basil or other herb. Serve with hot garlic bread and salad. This sauce can be kept for later and reheated, frozen or used for Lasagna or other dishes.

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Buon Apetito!