Best Italian Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce
This is the most comforting meal from my childhood. The trick is cooking it low and slow and not rushing the process. It is a game of patience, but it is very worth the wait if you have the time for it
Ingredients:
1 large brown onion
6 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
2 large carrots
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 kg ground beef
1 tsp each of dried parsley, basil, and oregano
1 tsp salt + more to taste
½ tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
700g jar of tomato passata
1 lb can of whole tomatoes
½ cup red wine, I like to use Merlot (optional)
1 cup beef broth
Method:
Dice your onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. This is your sofrito.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the sofrito, and fry slowly until the onions are golden (about 5 minutes).
Add the tomato paste and mix it through the sofrito. Allow it to cook for 2 minutes, until deep in colour.
Set to high heat and add the ground beef along with the dried herbs, salt, pepper, and bay leaves; stir it well, breaking up the ground beef into small pieces, and allow it to cook until the beef is browned (about 8 minutes).
Add in the tomato passata and can of whole tomatoes, and allow to cook at high heat for 5 minutes before lowering the temperature to low heat. Make sure to stir occasionally, and to scrape any fond (brown bits) at the bottom of the pot.
Pour in the red wine (if using) and beef broth, then put the lid on until it comes to a simmer, then remove the lid. Allow to gently simmer uncovered for at least an hour, but ideally for 4-5 hours. Stir occasionally.
Once done cooking, remove the bay leaves. If you like it a bit smoother, add the sauce to a food processor and do a quick blitz until the chunks are smaller.
Serve with spaghetti or pasta of choice. Enjoy!