Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese

Everyone grew up eating Spaghetti Bolognese, or Spag Bol as our American friends call it.

I remember tasting Parmesan cheese for the very first time atop a bowl of this stuff! I said it before, my mother would cook it on a Monday and that would almost be dinner for the rest of the week. I think she just didn't know how to measure the amount of pasta to cook and ended up making enough for the Brady Bunch and their extended family.

Either way it is a classic dish that is super easy to make.

Serves 4

Wine Pairing - BARBA Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Collemorino

Marcobarba Barbarossa

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 400g spaghetti
• 4 smoked bacon rashers
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped, leaves only
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• Handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 red chilli finely chopped, no seeds
• 125ml red wine
• 125ml milk
• 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 200g parmesan, grated
• Salt 
• Pepper

Method

1. Grab a large saucepan, chuck in 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium heat.
2. Throw in your rashers and cook for about 5 minutes until they start to brown and crisp up.
3. Lob in your onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Reduce heat slightly and continue for another 5 minutes.
5. Turn the heat up now to medium high and lob in your beef.
6. Cook for about 6 minutes while stirring until the meat is browned all over. 
7. Using a whisk is a very good way of breaking up your mince.
8. Lob in your red wine next.
9. Scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 
10. Cook until the alcohol has evaporated.
11. Then chuck in your milk.
12. Chuck in your chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano, bay leaves, tomato puree, beef stock cube, chilli, and the cherry tomatoes.
13. Stir it very well.
14. Bring it all to the boil.
15. Keep stirring.
16. Reduce the heat now down to a gentle simmer, season with salt and pepper, pop the lid on the pot and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. 
17. Stir it occasionally.
18. The longer you cook this the better it will taste!
19. Chuck in 100g of your parmesan, season it all well with salt and pepper to taste. 
20. When the Bolognese is nearly cooked, start your pasta.
21. Fill another pot with cold salted water.
22. Bring to the boil.
23. Cook the spaghetti for 1 minute 30 seconds less than stated on the packet.
24. Al dente ye!
25. Drain your pasta.
26. Now you just need to mix the 2 suckers together.
27. Serve with the remaining parmesan to sprinkle over the top.