This is possibly the most famous and favorite of all pasta dishes.This is a quick an easy way to make this recipe in one pan.I love this meal and enjoy cooking it.
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| Spaghetti Bolognese |
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb (125 g) ham or bacon cut into cubes
- 1 lb. (450 g) beef lean or medium ground
- 1 tbsp(15 ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (225 ml) coarsely chopped onion
- ¼ cup (50 ml) coarsely chopped celery
- ¼ cup (50 ml) coarsely chopped carrot
- ¼ cup (50 ml) coarsely chopped fennel bulb, if available
- ¼ cup (50 ml) butter
- 1 cup (225 ml) canned plum tomato
- ½ cup (125 ml) red wine
- 2 cups (500 ml) beef stock (preferably fresh, but canned beef stock will do)
- ¼ cup (50 ml) tomato paste
- 1 strip of lemon rind
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lb. (450 g) spaghetti pasta, preferably made from durum wheat
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese for garnish, preferably freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Procedure
- Mix the coarsely chopped onion, carrot, celery and fennel (optional) together and finely chop them (this is called a battuto in Italian, or a finely chopped mixture of vegetables and herbs to flavour a dish)
- Cut the ham or bacon into little cubes and saute in a heavy large pan or Wok
- Add the butter and allow it to melt. Then add the battuto
- Cook, stirring occasionally until very lightly browned,then remove and keep warm in a dish.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan and when the oil is hot, add the beef and stir to break up lumps, cooking until well browned
- Add battuto back to the pan
- Add the wine to the pan and stir on high heat, scraping any brown bits stuck to the pan
- Add the tomato paste and stock and stir until well mixed and add this mixture to the pan
- Drain and coarsely chop the plum tomatoes and add them to the pan
- Add the bay leaf and lemon rind
- Bring the pan to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, with bubbles barely breaking the surface
- Simmer, stirring occasionally for an hour (or more), until thick
- Add pepper to taste, and salt if necessary to taste
- When the sauce is ready, bring a gallon (4 litres) of water to a full boil over high heat in a large pan
- Add the pasta, give it a brisk stir to ensure it is all covered by water and not clumped together. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until al dente (firm but not hard, there should still be a bit of 'bite' when chewing pasta, rather than soggy and mushy)
- Drain the pasta well and serve immediately
- Remove the bay leaf and lemon rind, then spoon the Bolognese sauce over the pasta and have guests garnish with the grated Parmesan cheese,some people also like to add chedder or other good melting cheese.
