Spaghetti bolognese is a rather divisive dish in our family. Some members (the non-Italians) are very cavalier about what goes in it - mushrooms, peppers, all sorts. I on the other hand, follow a very particular method that I think produces the very best bolognese sauce. I've had so many requests to share it, so here it is. My perfect spaghetti bolognese. A really good quality beef mince is really important for this recipe, supermarket mince just won't cut it. You can get super high quality mince from dry aged British grass-fed beef from our online shop. We'll even deliver it to you if you're in the UK.
Ingredients (serves 6 hungry people)
1kg high-quality beef mince (at least 10% fat content) or 500g pork mince and 500g beef mince.
2 sticks celery
2 banana shallots or 1 medium white onion
3 cloves garlic
2 fat carrots
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
250ml red wine
200ml whole milk
1 tablespoon bovril
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 large sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
600g spaghetti or other long pasta
A generous quantity of freshly grated parmesan
Start by chopping the shallots and celery into a small dice. You want them to disintegrate into the sauce so the smaller the better. Heat the butter and the oil in a wide, deep saucepan until the butter has melted and is bubbling. Gently sweat the celery and shallots. Grate or squeeze the garlic and add to the pan, stirring occasionally until the shallots and celery are soft but not coloured. Dice the carrots to a similar size and add to the pan. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the mince and break up with a spoon. Leave without disturbing until one side is browned then stir to brown the rest. Make sure that the mince is fully browned before continuing. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add the wine and bring to the boil. Allow to bubble away for 5 minutes then add the milk. Bring to the boil again then add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce. Fill the empty chopped tomato can with water and swill it out into the sauce to loosen it. Bring everything to the boil then turn down and allow to gently simmer for at least an hour. This might seem like a long time but you can leave it to its own devices.
Once the sauce is thick and darker in colour, cook your pasta of choice according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and add to the sauce. Stir well to coat the pasta with the sauce and serve with lots of grated parmesan and black pepper
Do you have your own version? Did you try this version? Did you love it? Let us know in the comments and remember to tag us on social media @cookandfeastlondon
Make sure to visit our shop to get your mince and all other meaty products delivered straight to your door.
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