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Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese

Standard · 55 min · Serves 4 · Italian

Dietary: nut-free

A rich, slow-simmered Italian ragu of ground beef, soffritto and tomato tossed through al dente spaghetti and finished with parmesan.

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 celery, finely chopped
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
  • 500 g ground beef, or half beef, half pork
  • 125 ml red wine, dry; or beef stock (optional)
  • 1 can crushed tomato
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 beef bouillon, cube, crumbled (optional)
  • 2 tsp worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

Pasta

  • 400 g spaghetti
  • 30 g parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)

Steps

Sauce

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are soft.
  2. Turn the heat to high and add the beef. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned all over with no pink left.
  3. Pour in the wine, if using, and let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the sharp smell of alcohol has gone.
  4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crumbled bouillon, Worcestershire sauce and oregano, and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium so it bubbles gently. Cook uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every so often, until thick and rich. If it thickens before the time is up, add a splash of water.
  6. Taste and adjust: more salt if it tastes flat, and a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.

Pasta

  1. About 15 minutes before the sauce is done, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti for 1 minute less than the packet says, since it finishes cooking in the sauce.
  2. Scoop out a mug of the starchy pasta water, then drain the spaghetti.
  3. Add the spaghetti to the sauce over medium heat with about 125 ml (½ cup) of the pasta water. Toss for 1½ to 2 minutes, until the spaghetti turns red and the sauce clings to it; the starchy water is what stops it pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
  4. Divide between bowls and finish with the parmesan.

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