A rich, versatile meat sauce: serve it Bolognese-style with spaghetti or use it as a base for lasagne or moussaka
Nutrition and extra info
- Freezable
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal705
- fat15g
- saturates6g
- carbs79g
- sugars9g
- fibre7g
- protein54g
- salt0.9g
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Olive oil
ol-iv oylProbably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 1 onion, halved and finely chopped
Onion
un-yunOnions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
Carrot
ka-rotThe carrot, with its distinctive bright orange colour, is one of the most versatile root…
- 600g pack minced beef steak
Steak
StaykSteak is essentially a boneless thick or thin slice of red meat, cut across the grain of a large…
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 150ml red wine (or use extra beef stock)
- 500ml beef stock
- 400g spaghetti
- 50g grated parmesan, plus extra to serve (optional)
Parmesan
parm-ee-zanParmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
- side salad, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery and carrot. Fry over a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring now and then, until softened and starting to colour.
Stir in the mince and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat with a wooden spoon, until browned.
Add the tomato purée, garlic and thyme, and cook for 1-2 mins more. Pour in the wine, if using, and increase the heat to boil off most of the alcohol. Reduce the heat, stir in the stock and season. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to cook gently for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Remove the lid and continue cooking for 15 mins. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water, then drain the spaghetti and add to the ragu with the Parmesan. Toss well and add a little pasta water to help the sauce coat the spaghetti. Serve with a side salad and extra cheese, if you like.
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