Quick Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti cooked as directed
1.5kg lean beef mince
Olive oil
2 onions – chopped
1 carrot finely grated
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 cans crushed tomatoes
Worcester sauce, a good splash
4 slices smoked streaky bacon chopped (Optional)
1 tsp Italian herbs
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 sachet Tomato paste.
Fresh black pepper
Salt to taste
250 ml red wine (use a wine that you would drink) (Optional – substitute with stock)
½ bottle of passatta
½ cup of milk
Garlic bread and parmesan cheese to serve
Fry onions in olive oil until translucent, add bacon (if using), carrot and garlic.
In a separate pan brown mince and stir with a fork breaking all lumps, adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
Add to the onion mixture and add tomatoes, tomato paste, passatta and wine/stock.
Once wine has reduced add all the seasoning and milk.
Simmer on low for as long as you can.
Add to spaghetti.
Cheese Sauce
5 tblsp butter
5 tblsp flour
250 ml cream
1 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of mustard powder
Method
Heat the cream and milk to just below boiling point.
Melt the butter on low heat and add the flour.
Stir gently for 2 minutes to ensure that flour cooked. A
dd the cream and milk and seasoning. Stir until thickened.
Temper the eggs with about a cup of the milk and the pour the lot back into the pot whisking fast so that the eggs do not scramble.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted. It should resemble more of a thick custardy cheese sauce.
The object is not for the sauce to seep through to the spaghetti bolognese but to set at the top when baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 170 for about 30-40 minutes till set and golden.
This is another one of my lazy mid-week meals. A week ago I made way too much Spaghetti Bolognese so I froze half it – well last night I took it out and came up with a SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE BAKE/PIE!
I defrosted the Spaghetti Bolognese and made a thick custard cheese sauce and baked it in the oven. Of course I never mentioned it was last week’s left overs and judging by helpings of seconds it was enjoyed by all.
Prepared, tried and tested by: Melanie Kramar
