Spaghetti Bolognese – An Absolute Winner! It doesn't get better than this - I Promise! This is the one I keep coming back to all my life!

Spaghetti Bolognese – An All-Time Winner! It doesn't get better than this - I Promise!

An all-time winner! Serve with lots of fresh parmesan or sharp cheddar – Delish! And even better the following day! – Enjoy!

Be warned: Do NOT be tempted to eat more than you should of this classic favorite! Especially if you are susceptible to “middle-age spread!” Place your bowl onto a scale and dish up into that! Count your calories and yes, you’d better!

Total Calories: 3,819 Total Weight: 2.814 kg

Per 300 g serving excluding cheese: 407 Calories Same serving including 30 g (121 kcal) cheddar cheese: 528 Calories per serving

22 Calories in 1 tablespoon (5 g) of Parmesan Cheese

Notes: 

• Don’t forget the garlic which is a very important part of this dish. Add as much as you wish. Adding it freshly crushed as a paste right before serving will really boost the flavor and strength throughout the dish – If you want to save on your garlic, just add it last! If adding too soon the strength will dissipate and weaken as it cooks.
• You may take your wine up to 500 ml but I prefer to stick with around 260 ml but I leave that up to your taste buds.
• You may use a dry white wine but you are going to get a far deeper and richer color by going with the red wine.
• Oil for frying may be replaced with half oil to butter, chicken schmaltz or whatever you prefer.
• Frozen bacon, partially defrosted dices far easier.
• Tomato puree: Preferably use fresh oval-shaped Italian tomatoes but normal round ones will also do.
• Before I cook my pasta I break it up with my hands into shorter pieces. I prefer it that way.
• You may vary this recipe by replacing the origanum with 2 heaped tsp of freshly ground cumin seed
• 1 tsp ground ginger, dried
• 1 tiny bullet red chili to replace black pepper
• You may also add 100 g sachet All Gold Tomato paste
• I usually double this recipe using 1kg Beef or Ostrich mince. 

How to Puree Fresh Tomatoes: Precook whole unpeeled tomatoes with their cores until soft with a little sugar and salt to taste, covered in the microwave. Puree when they are nice and soft with an immersion blender = fresh puree Fresh tomato puree is added in accordance with your own taste buds – However do NOT add too much! Too many tomatoes will overpower and throw out the balance of your dish. **The secret is to add a little at a time, just to keep the moisture and the thickness of your dish.

Ingredients:

150 g streaky bacon, finely diced by hand

3 onions, finely chopped

1 1/2 carrots, grated

4 sticks celery, finely diced

1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

7.5 ml origanum, dried – OR – 1 tbsp fresh

60 ml of oil

600 g lean minced beef

375 ml tomato puree -OR – 45 ml tomato paste, to taste

260 g dry red wine (You may go up to 500 ml if you wish or according to taste or use white if preferred)

2 bay leaves, crushed
Tomato sauce to taste (Optional)

3/4 tsp salt, to taste

Pinch black pepper, to taste or chili powder

Pinch sugar, to taste

Pasta:

3 tsp salt, to taste

600 g / 14 oz spaghetti or tagliatelle - use half if on a low carb diet as I do.

3 tsp butter, schmaltz or your choice fat

To Serve: Fresh parsley, Freshly Parmesan (Padano or Parmigiano) and or Sharp Cheddar

Method:

Dice bacon into small cubes.

Peel and finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery -OR – Place all, roughly chopped into the food processor together with garlic and pulse with a metal blade on until all is finely chopped.

Wash, pat dry and finely chop the parsley. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Brown the minced meat using a potato masher breaking it up finely. As soon as the meat is finely broken up and browned, add your bacon together with onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute a further 3 – 5 minutes.

Add the parsley, origanum, tomato puree (paste), wine, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and sugar. Saute gently for 30 minutes over low heat.

As soon as meat sauce is ready, turn off the heat.

Pasta: Bring the water to the boil and add the salt, the remaining oil over stove top or in the microwave. Add the spaghetti to boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’, about 8 minutes or 6 – 7 minutes on high in a 1000 watt microwave oven.

Drain the spaghetti in a colander, add the rest of the butter and serve the sauce, reheated, on top together with freshly grated parmesan or cheddar – Enjoy!