Recipe: Spaghetti Bolognaise (With a Twist)

Traditional spaghetti bolognaise with a bit of a twist

Spaghetti bolognaise is a nice and straight forward recipe and is the staple of many a home across the UK (well I know it is in mine at least). As I've made it so many times I like to experiment by adding new flavours and new ingredients. This recipe doesn't deviate too much from the standard bolognaise but does add tons of flavour.

Ingredients:

400g minced beef

200g mushrooms

150ml red wine

400g tine of chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons of tomato puree

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

2 carrots

300ml beef stock

400g spaghetti

2 teaspoons of paprika

3 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

olive oil

Serves 4

How to make:

Begin by peeling and finely chopping your onion, carrots and garlic. Heat a little oil in a saucepan and add these together with your mince. Fry this on a medium heat for around 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften and the beef is no longer pink. While this is frying, stir occasionally and also rinse and slice the mushrooms.

Next add the mushrooms and paprika to the pan, mix well, and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Then add the wine, tin of tomatoes, tomato puree and the beef stock to the mixture and stir. Finally add the Worcestershire sauce and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Leaving the pan uncovered, simmer the whole mixture for around 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After around 25 minutes, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti. When the spaghetti starts to soften push it down into the pan to ensure that it all cooks and that the strands separate. The spaghetti normally takes around 10-15 minutes to cook but check the packet for instructions.

Once the spaghetti is on the go, turn the heat up on the bolognaise to reduce the sauce. Keep stirring to stop it sticking and add more salt and pepper if you wish. Once the spaghetti is cooked you're ready to serve.

Drain the spaghetti in a colander, place onto a plate or bowl and serve the bolognaise on a bed of spaghetti. Top with grated or flaked parmesan and/or some fresh herbs such as basil or coriander.