Ages ago I read somewhere that spaghetti bolognaise was the dish most British people could make without a recipe. I used to have my own version, but then some Italian friends, Gabriele and Emmanuela, taught us how to make a traditional bolognaise and it turned out I was making it more complicated than it needed to be (apparently I’m not the only one, although I still love a splash of worcestershire sauce). I was sceptical about putting celery in bolognaise and when I had it in Bolgna I was disappointed with the lack of sauce but this recipe is delicious, and really simple. The rule of thumb is to use equal quantities of meat and tomato so it’s easy to adapt the quantities for a bigger or smaller batch. We usually make a big batch so there’s enough for a lasagne or a meal with spaghetti and some to freeze because it reheats really well.
I made two changes to the original recipe; Gabriele uses a mix of beef and pork, but I prefer the flavour of pure beef; and I confess I add a splash of red wine because apparently I’m incapable of cooking without a bit of alcohol!
Ingredients
- 800g minced beef (or minced beef and pork)
- 800g crushed tinned tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 sticks celery
- 2-3 carrots
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch of herbs like thyme
- Optional: splash of red wine
- Dice the onion, celery and carrots into small pieces. Crush the garlic.
- Fry the onion on a medium heat for a couple of minutes, then add the crushed garlic and a minute or two later, the carrot and celery.
- When the vegetables have softened, add the meat and allow it to brown all over.
- If you want to add red wine, add it when the meat is brown. Then immediately add the tomato, seasoning and herbs and stir well.
- Leave to simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Enjoy with spaghetti and some parmesan cheese.
- Alternatively, whip up a bechamel sauce and layer up with sheets of lasagne for a slower but really tasty meal. Gabriele mixes the meat and bechamel together which is extra indulgent on spaghetti if you have any leftover meat, or my mum uses cheese sauce which is another taste sensation.
I hope you enjoy this streamlined bolognaise!
Tomatoes on toast blog 