Did someone say Spag Bol?!

Posted by clairehelenbailey on December 10, 2013 · 2 Comments 

“Spag Bol” my husband scoffs at me as I serve up a steaming bowl of spaghetti topped with a meat ragout. It’s up there with cappuccinos after lunchtime, pizza with pineapple, or worse still sweet corn, in his handbook of “when foreigners mess with Italian food”! If you think I’m exaggerating then let me stress that he is not alone in this. Most of Italy seems to be on his side.

Without fail all of my italian friends have laughed at us Brits drinking latte (which alone means milk) when we should all be ordering a caffe latte (we stand corrected)! Pizza brings with it a whole series of war crimes from meat feast to stuffed crusts. Pasta with meat! Risotto with meat! Meat with meat! Oh the list is endless.

And so it is that Spag Bol is sneered at in our house albeit in name only. “It’s a made up name” my husband cries “just for you Brits”! “But it tastes good” I reply “so just get it down you!”

ingredients1 onion, 450g minced beef, 2 carrots, I stick celery, 400g tin peeled tomatoes, 500ml red wine, fresh oregano, salt and pepper. Spaghetti. Grated Parmesan to serve.
preparation
1. Chop the onion and sweat in olive oil.
2. Add the minced beef and sautée till the meat is sealed then add in a pinch of salt.
3. Finely chop the carrot and celery and add. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the peeled tomatoes.
4. Use a wooden spoon to break the peeled tomatoes up. Add in the wine and oregano.
5. Simmer for an hour.
6. In a separate pan bring some salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti. Cook according to the instructions for c11-15 minutes.
7. Serve in a large bowl, topped with the bolognese sauce and Parmesan.

Filed under Recipes · Tagged with basil, bolognese, carrot, celery, dinner, lunch, meat ragout, parmesan, recipe, rosemary, Spaghetti, tomato sauce