Bolognese Pasta

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           Your Bite of Italy

Spaghetti Bolognese 

       Pasta dish

"Spaghetti bolognese" (sometimes called spaghetti alla bolognese, or colloquially "spag bol" or just "spaghetti") is a pasta dish that is commonly served outside Italy. It consists of spaghetti served with a sauce made from tomatoes, minced beef, garlic, wine and herbs; sometimes minced beef can be replaced by other minced meats. In this sense it is actually more similar to Neapolitan ragù from the south of Italy than the northern Bolognese version of Ragu. Often accused of 'inauthenticity' when encountered by Italians abroad, it may be served with a larger proportion of sauce to spaghetti than is common in some Italian spaghetti dishes, and the sauce may be laid on top of the spaghetti (rather than being mixed in, in the Italian manner) or even served separately from it (leaving diners to mix it in themselves). It is often served with grated parmesan on top, but local cheeses, such as grated cheddar are also often used. The sauce is commonly referred to as "Bolognese sauce" or just "spaghetti sauce", but is actually closer to a Southern or Central Italian style of pasta dish, as true Bolognese sauce is generally served in Italy with tagliatelle ribbons, and not with spaghetti.

" Buon appetito."

Ingredients Serving for 4 person

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g/14oz beef mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 100g/3½oz carrot, grated
• 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400ml/14fl oz stock (made from stock cube. Ideally beef, but any will do)
• 400g/14oz dried spaghetti
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Prep
  30 m
• Cook
  60 m
• Ready In
  90 m

1. Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and once hot add the beef mince and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the mince until well browned over a medium-high heat (be careful not to burn the mince. It just needs to be a dark brown color). Once browned, transfer the mince to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add another tablespoon of oil to the saucepan you browned the mince in and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and fry gently for 5-6 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the grated carrot then pour the mince and any juices in the bowl back into the saucepan.
3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and rich. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
4. When ready to cook the spaghetti, heat a large saucepan of water and add a pinch of salt. Cook according to the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is cooked through, drain and add to the pan with the bolognese sauce. Mix well and serve.

Footnotes

• Use Italian pasta for best results. 
• Substitute pecorino Romano  for the Parmesan cheese  if desired.