making bolognaise sauce from scratch

rubytuesday

I use bertolli basil sauce if I don't make my own and add red peppers and a tin of petit pois and carrots along with the liquid. I also add a bit of sugar.

Stephen_Leak

Here's my version ...

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Serves 2 - 3

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves of garlic
2 onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil
500g of minced meat
400g tin of plum tomatoes*
140g tin of tomato puree
2 teaspoons of mixed herbs
1 beef stock cube
Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Fry the garlic and onion for about 2 minutes. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Put the meat into the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time. By this time, it should have broken up and be an even colour, with no pink bits.

Open the tin of tomatoes. Pour the juice into the pan. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the pan). Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan.

Add the tomato puree and herbs. Crumble the stock cube into the pan. Stir thoroughly.

Continue to cook, stirring as the mixture boils, until the sauce has reduced.

Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use minced beef, lamb, pork or turkey, whichever is cheapest. If the pack is a bit less than required, add some finely chopped mushrooms or grated carrot at the same time as the meat.

Add a glass of wine and cook for a bit longer. Or drink the glass of wine and cook for the same time.

Use oregano instead of the mixed herbs.

In Italy, an oil-based sauce like this would be traditionally served with a plain pasta, such as spaghetti, and grated Parmesan cheese. However, there are lots of other plain pastas and the addition of cheese is not considered compulsory in Italy.

TIPS

Always "take the pasta to the sauce". Put the cooked pasta in the pan with the sauce and stir together until thoroughly coated.
　　
* Plum tomatoes can be used either whole or chopped. It is difficult to stick chopped tomatoes back together again if you need to use them whole.

irishwexford

I aways make a big batch and half goes into a lasagne. I make mine as others with tomatoes, mushrooms, mince, garlic, basil and tomato paste, plus one stock cube. If I have red wine open I add a glug of that as well.

MsDee

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all the suggestions - am so impressed with all the responses in such a short time!!

I'm literally going to follow Stephen Leak's recipe step by step - probably add mushrooms as an extra, not sure about the tomato paste/puree - does it not make it too 'tomatoey'. When I add the the mixed herbs - can they be dried or are fresh better - sorry as you can tell I am cr&p!!!!

Happy eating

zippychick

MsDee wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all the suggestions - am so impressed with all the responses in such a short time!!

I'm literally going to follow Stephen Leak's recipe step by step - probably add mushrooms as an extra, not sure about the tomato paste/puree - does it not make it too 'tomatoey'. When I add the the mixed herbs - can they be dried or are fresh better - sorry as you can tell I am cr&p!!!!

Happy eating

I'm sure you could also add mushies no probs

Hopefully Stephen can reply regards the tomato paste - or if he doesn't in time, you could always add a tablespoon or two , and follow the rest of the recipe - let the flavours develop with cooking , and add more if you wish (as you go along)

Mixed herbs as I understand would be dried basic mixed herbs

donnajt

I use a dolmio as a base and add whatever i find - but always include mush (loads chopped up small), couple of onions, tomato puree, spoonful red pesto, couple of tins of chopped toms, loads of mixed herbs, garlic and a huge splash of Mr T Value Tomato Ketchup (we like ours tomatoey!!) dd calls the Tomato Ketchup our secret ingredient!!

If you are bored with spaghetti buy a packet of canelloni tubes fill them with your bolognese, add pasata to the left over bolognese pour over the top, then top with a bechamel or white sauce and cheese, i find this really stretches the bolognese into two big meals

bitsandpieces

Chicken liver is cheap (though hard to get free range) and adds a lot of flavour

tracyk

I add Boursin to mine - mmm yum.

Winged_one

There are lots of good ideas there already. So I will just post my own recipe in general. And I find that I tend to make it, allowing maybe 30-60 mins simmering time, on a Sunday, to actually reheat and eat on Monday (so very time saving - as I'm already cooking roast on Sun and it takes minutes on Monday after work!), with the other half going into the freezer for a different day the following week. Cooking day before and reheating makes it taste nicer I find - although still very nice fresh.

Dice and gently fry an onion (or 2). When starting to get golden, add a crushed, sliced or finely chopped clove (or up to 4) of garlic. Allow another couple of minutes gentle fry.
Add 1lb of mince beef and brown that off well. Will take a few mins to get the nice brown colour, but that adds good flavour. Add a pack of bacon lardons (I use 1 portion of Lidl lardons - which come in 2 portion packs) and allow to cook.
Peel and grate a carrot or 2, grate a half to whole courgette, (finely chop 1 or 2 sticks celery). Add these, along with a tin of tomato puree and either a tin of tomatoes (I tend to get whole and chop myself) or a carton of passatta. Add half a teaspoon of sugar (to counteract acid of preserved toms), plenty of dried basil and oregano (I do by sight, but perhaps 3 teaspoons of herbs in total) or mixed herbs if need be. Pinch salt and a good grinding of pepper.
Now, I sometimes add some beef stock if doing a double batch (2lbs mince), or a good glug of red wine if I have some - this would be added here. I always tend to rinse out the tomato containers with water (for remaining tom bits and because they need rinsing for recycling anyway) and would add that too (perhaps half of the large tin in amount). Can also add other veggies - chopped mushrooms, chopped peppers, diced aubergine etc.

Allow to simmer at least 30 mins, preferably an hour.

One lb of mince feeds 4 adults and 2 kids easily, and they are usually generous portions at that. Can easily be stretched without adding more meat to at least 6-8 adult portions - an extra tin toms, more liquid (prob needs to be stock rather than water), and an extra carrot, and some other veggies.

kezzygirl

hello, i would like to know how to make a decent bolognese sauce?
the jars which we buy from tesco are very watery and do not taste rich/bolognesey when cooked.there is no flavour!
any suggestions?