Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 900g minced beef
- 2 carrots, finely grated
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato purée
- 225ml red wine
- 200ml beef stock
- 500g spaghetti
- grated parmesan cheese, to serve
Spaghetti Bolognese
‘Our generation has inherited an incredibly beautiful world. It is in our hands whether our children and their children inherit the same world. When you have conflict, everything else breaks down… so the absolute key is to try to get these conflicts resolved.’
– Sir Richard Branson and family
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook gently for 5–6 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Stir in the minced beef and cook, stirring continuously, for a further 5 minutes or until browned.
Add the grated carrots, tomatoes and tomato purée. Pour in the red wine and beef stock. Mix thoroughly, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, adding a little water if needed.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the spaghetti and serve the bolognese sauce either stirred through the spaghetti or spooned over the top, sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
SHARE: Foreword by Meryl Streep edited by Alison Oakervee, published by Kyle Books, RRP $39.99. Photo credit: Philip Webb
Tips and Tricks
You can use the bolognese sauce as the base for a cottage pie. Pour the mixture into a shallow ovenproof dish and cover with cooked potatoes mashed with milk, butter and grated Cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven at 180°C/gas mark 4 for 20–25 minutes or until the potato topping is crisp and golden.
Alternatively, make the meat sauce into a chilli by adding a teaspoon of chilli powder with the garlic, and a can of drained and rinsed kidney beans with the chopped tomatoes.
The shape of a carrot has little affect on it’s taste or nutritional value. Pick carrots of all shapes and sizes, including the odd shaped ones, to help send a message to our food retailers and support a less-wasteful fresh food system.