I do have a go to recipe when making bolognaise. It has an intense flavours of beef and tomato. One thing I have found is that when using tinned tomatoes and tomato purée that not all are equal and some have better flavour than others. I have to say that my experience with own brand versions haven’t passed the taste test. I usually now use Mutti finely chopped tomatoes when cooking this dish. It has the consistency and intensity of flavour I like when cooking bolognaise.
This version was trying something different, and it wasn’t just the different pasta.
This serves four people.
500g minced beef, I try and get 5% fat mince, otherwise the end result can be a bit greasy. If you do buy the mince with the higher fat content, I would suggest after browning the mince to drain some of the excess fat or oil from the pan before adding the vegetables.
Pancetta
Splash of olive oil
One onion, diced
Handful of mushrooms, chopped
Splash of red wine
Knorr chicken stock pot
Beef stock cube
Tin of Mutti finely chopped tomatoes
Mutti tomato purée
Garlic purée
I usually use a large pan with a lid, for cooking this dish. I heat the pan add the splash of olive oil and then the pancetta. Add the beef mince, and brown off the mince until it is all done. If you have excess fat in the pan then drain the cooked mince and discard the excess oil and fat, then add the mince back to the pan.
Add the onion. After a few minutes add the mushrooms.
Once the onion is soft and cooked, add the tin of tomatoes, the stock pot and stock cube, the garlic purée, tomato purée and the red wine.
Cook for at least 30 minutes on a low heat. The plan is for all the flavours to infuse and for the beef mince to be cooked and tender.
Serve with spaghetti or a pasta of your choice. Add freshly grated Parmesan to taste.