Spaghetti Bolognese
This is the ultimate midweek meal for good reason: it's cheap to make, easy to tailor to your tastes (swapping beef mince for turkey mince) and great for using up leftover bits of veg from the fridge too. I usually serve this with some homemade garlic bread for a satisfying meal that's on the table in under 30 minutes.
4 Servings 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- Parmesan Cheese - 50 grams
- Red Wine - 125 ml
- Beef Stock Cube - 1
- Black Pepper - 1 tsp
- Dried Oregano - 2 tsp
- Dried Spaghetti - 300 grams
- Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
- Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
- Tinned Chopped Tomatoes - 400 grams
- Tomato Puree - 2 tbsp
- Brown Onion - 1
- Garlic Clove - 2
- Beef Mince - 500 grams
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add beef mince and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned all over.
- Stir in dried oregano and tomato purée; cook for 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavour. Pour in red wine, stir, and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add chopped tomatoes, crumbled beef stock cube, and 100 ml water then season with a little salt & pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions then drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water.
- Toss spaghetti with the sauce, adding a splash of pasta water if it needs loosening. Serve topped with grated parmesan and extra black pepper.