See that freshly grated Parmesan sprinkled all over my daughter’s Spag Bol? She’s just as in love with fresh Parmesan as I am. Can’t have Spag Bol without it. Now I’m usually a Ragu kind of girl, but sometimes the rest of the family just want bolognese without the veges so I have been on the lookout for a new recipe, and this Woolworths (no affiliation here) recipe is just what they were after. It uses Continental’s New Stock Pot in Beef, which isn’t something I would normally buy, but I decided to give it a try anyway.
Now, weeknights in our house are usually crazy busy, and with Miss 10’s Slumber Party coming up this Friday night my cleaning frenzy is in full swing. In fact, I think I can hear a vacuum going in the girl’s room right now. “No clean room, no slumber party.” In a minute I’m off to bleach the tiles in the main bathroom in case anyone wants a shower. Add to that Mr8 having meetings three nights in a row this week and one at 7am tomorrow morning (life as president of a C&K kindy is tough…actually he loves it! And as I am the wife of the president the office staff have taken to calling me Michelle), and I’m on my own quite a lot this week. So this recipe was a godsend tonight. There was no chopping of onions or even garlic. I basically just browned my mince and added the remaining ingredients and let it simmer away while I packed lunch boxes. Perfect! The best part is that everyone licked their plates clean, it was that good. Even though I love a cooking challenge, it’s nice to have a few recipes like this one up my sleeve for nights like tonight. Have a great evening everyone!
Rich Red Wine Bolognaise
I double this recipe for my family of 8.
Ingredients:
2 Tbl Olive Oil
500g Lean Beef Mince
125ml (1/2 Cup) Red Wine
500ml (2 Cups) Water
400g Can Diced Tomatoes
70g (1/4 Cup) Tomato Paste
1 x 28g Continental Stock Pot Beef
2 Large Thyme Sprigs (or use dried)
1 Bay Leaf
Cooked Spaghetti, to serve
Fresh Basil leaves, to serve
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until mince changes colour.
Add the wine and bring to the boil.
Cook for 2-3 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.
Add the water, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, thyme and bay leaf.
Stir and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 50-55 minutes until thick.
Remove thyme stems and bay leaf.
Combine the spaghetti and sauce in a large bowl.
Divide amongst bowls.
Top with parmesan and basil.
Source: Woolworths Good Taste Australian Magazine