Go Back
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Spaghetti Bolognese

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: easy dinner recipes, easy pasta recipes, spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti recipe

Ingredients

  • 500 gram lamb mince
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 2 x 410 grams canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 tspn chilli powder
  • 2 tspn dried italian herbs
  • 1 tspn dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 mutton stock cube
  • 1/4 cup fresh cream (optional)
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • parsley
  • 500 gram spaghetti

Instructions

  • Heat a large pan and cook the mince until it starts to brown a little
  • Add the olive oil, onion, garlic and thyme. Saute until the onion is translucent
  • Add the tomatoes, dried herbs, bay leaf, tomato puree, chilli powder, stock cube and pepper. Add more salt only if required as the stock may have enough salt. Bring to the boil, reduce and let it simmer for an hour to an hour and a half.
  • Add about a cup of warm water if the sauce becomes too thick. This will also depend on how long you are cooking your sauce. You should have a rich, thick sauce. The longer the sauce is cooked the better
  • If the sauce is too acidic add some sugar.
  • When the sauce is almost cooked , add in your cream. Boil the spaghetti and mix into the sauce. Mix in half the parmesan cheese and use the remaining cheese to serve. Garnish with some parsley and serve

Notes

  1. If you do not have mutton stock cubes you can add some lamb stock
  2. We do not eat beef but feel free to use it if you do eat it and you can then use the beef stock cubes
  3. I prefer to cook my sauce longer but there are times when I am in a rush so I cook it for just 30 minutes
  4. Chilli powder is not something that's added to bolognese, that's my little addition to it. You can also add chilli flakes but I like a little kick and the chilli flakes just doesn't do it. 
  5. My kids love the addition of the cream because they find the sauce to acidic, although I must admit adding a little sugar does sort that problem out too, especially if it is good quality tomatoes, as they're not as acidic
  6. I used to add carrots and celery to this recipe but my kids says it just ruins the sauce, I should rather give them veggies on the side. So much for hidden veggies. But you can add some if you prefer
  7. Always reserve some of that pasta water and add it when mixing the pasta and sauce, it really is liquid gold