Spaghetti bolognese

For Kate and Nellie

I’ve been meaning to write up my spag bol recipe for my friend Kate for ages but it’s been a while since I made it and I had no idea what quantity of mince I use. I always buy meat from the butcher’s so I ask for the amount I want by eye rather than weight. Today, though, they had 500g packs of minced lamb already weighed out, so that’s what I’m using. You can of course use minced beef if you prefer.

I heard Antonio Carluccio on Woman’s Hour once saying how spag bol should take half an hour to make, not 3 hours. This version takes somewhere in between. He also insists that minced pork should be included – I have tried this and agree it does make for a tasty version but don’t think a porkless version is any the worse for the omission.

Others also insist on including pancetta or streaky bacon. I find this totally unnecessary – this dish already contains a large amount of meat, I don’t see that you need to introduce more, especially cured, given the other strong flavours in this dish. In fact, I often add some Quorn to my spag bol to make it ever so slightly healthier. Don’t be taken in by the adverts though, a Quorn-only spag bol would be insipid, but you can get away with adding a little.

Spaghetti bolognese ingredients

• 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 fat cloves garlic
• 2 carrot, grated
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 500g minced lamb or beef
• 2 tins plum tomatoes
• Chestnut mushrooms, sliced or quartered, as you prefer. Oops – I forgot to weigh how much. Probably a supermarket punnet worth
• Dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf

Optional spag bol ingredients

• A splash of red wine – I say optional if Kate is making this for 3-year -old Nellie, though I wouldn't dream of omitting this in my version
• Fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped 
• Quorn – probably about 100g
• Red lentils – I sometimes add a handful to thicken the sauce

How to make spaghetti bolognese 

This really is one of the simplest meals to make.

1. Heat a little olive oil gently in a large casserole pan
2. Add the onion and fry till soft
3. Add the garlic, celery and carrot, and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently
4. Turn the heat up to high and add the meat
5. Cook, stirring, until the meat is browned
6. Add the wine, if using, and continue to cook on a high heat till it has almost all evaporated
7. Add both tins of tomatoes.
8. Rinse out the tomato tins with a little water to get any juice left on the side of the tin, and add this too
9. Season with salt and pepper and the oregano and rosemary if using, and bring to the boil.
10. Add the mushrooms then reduce the heat to a lively simmer.
11. Simmer for about an hour, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and you are left with a concentrated sauce.

This makes enough for 2 very large portions served with wholemeal spaghetti and freshly grated Parmesan, plus enough to make a lasagne for 4 people.