Sarah from Sarahdipity was wondering about what is the secret to a good bolognese because her Brother-in-law makes a great one that he won’t share the recipe for. So she was asking on Facebook what makes a good sauce. I said I would type mine up so here it is for all.

For me a good sauce is something that the kids will eat and I have been making this for years and years it is the easiest and most favourite dish for our family. The best thing with a bolognese sauce you can do so much with it: Lasagne; Spaghetti; Pasta Bake. Tonight we are having pasta bake. These days I am struggling with finding enough food to fill a growing teenage son. I am not sure where he is putting it all and I am forever grateful we only have one son (plus two daughters), any more boys and I am not sure we could afford to feed them, our girls just don’t seem to want the same quantity of food ever!

[recipe]

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

• 500gms mince (I prefer beef mince but lamb, pork, turkey, chicken all work too)
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies*
• 1 cup frozen corn*
• 1-2 onions
• handful of mushrooms
• 2 tins diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons mixed Italian Herbs (I use YIAH Pizza herbs)
• 2-3 dessert spoons tomato puree
• 2-3 dessert spoons sugar
• 1 glass red wine (my secret ingredient)

* if I don’t have frozen veggies or corn I would make up about 3 cups of whatever grated veggies I had on hand.

* Edited to add: Sammie from Annoyed Thyroid also adds a dash of balsamic vinegar and this sounds like an amazing idea! Through YIAH there is an amazing range of flavoured balsamic vinegars and I think that quite a number would really add amazing flavours to a bolognese! Any of the Caramelised (honey, garlic, honey garlic, maple, maple bourbon) would be amazing as would I think the Sauv Blanc.

Method

Brown mince add herbs during the cooking of the mince.

Peel quarter onions, quarter mushrooms, add frozen veggies and frozen corn all to thermomix bowl blitz up until all roughly chopped up (about speed 7 for 5 secs). I mainly do this because my daughters “hate” mushrooms and onion though if you blitz them up they don’t notice them at all.

If you don’t have a thermomix type appliance you can leave the veggies whole or you could grate up about 3 cups of mixed veggies like carrot, sweet potato, broccoli, zucchini, chick peas – whatever veggies your family eats or you have on hand I would put in. 

Add diced tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar and glass of wine stir through and simmer on a low heat with the lid on for at least 4 hours. If you want to reduce the liquid before serving take the lid off for about 30mins but keep your eye on the pot as it can reduce quickly.

I have also been known to make this exact recipe in the slow cooker through everything in including the mince (uncooked) and cook on low for 8 hours – works perfectly as well.

Makes enough for at least 6 adults.

[/recipe]

I promise the smell through the house is just divine, on the red wine I personally can’t drink any alcohol at all but this cooks it all out. If you are lucky enough to be able to drink then you have a bottle open to go with dinner.

Kit xoxo