Spag Bol

[Garlick]

Tell me your secret ingredients for this staple mid- week meal

Me? Never use a pre made sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, chilli, pine nuts, pieces of chorizo, a (small) touch of honey and veg as you fancy. Fresh pasta too, not dried.

I need new ideas though, and I know PH can help.......

ETA: Fresh garlic too, silly of me to forget that really.

Edited by Garlick on Tuesday 23 June 21:33

[nonplussed]

Sacla roast pepper pesto
Lots of garlic
Fry the mince really well first
Simmer it for as many hours as you can

Otherwise as above

[grumbledoak]

Brown the mince in small batches, so it properly browns.

Then, I pretty much stick to onions, tomatoes (tin acceptable) and garlic (lots), though I do vary it occasionally.

And do put the spaghetti into the sauce, so it is coated, not a pile on the top.

[HRG.]

Sugar...

[CatherineJ]

Dark Chocolate.

Also worcester sauce when browning the mince.

I always include red wine and I also more recently have started to add a small amount of parmasan.

Edited by CatherineJ on Tuesday 23 June 21:35

[krallicious]

My Mum adds Branston's Pickle!!! It does however, taste lovely.

I always finely cube celery and carrot and add these to the onions, garlic (lots) and a bay leaf. Sweat for around 20 minutes, add tomato puree and fry off and then add the beef, which has been browned along with browned bacon. Deglaze the pan the meat was fried in with red wine and reduce. When reduced, add to the veg. Add home made tomato sauce (tinned is also ok), a large sprig of rosemary and some dried and fresh oregano. Leave to simmer for a good 6 hours until lovely and thick.

Edited by krallicious on Wednesday 24th June 11:26

[Jer_1974]

OXO, smoked Bacon, Red wine, onions, garlic, Worster sauce good mince.

[Mobile Chicane]

A few slices of pancetta
1 finely chopped onion
2 finely chopped celery sticks
1 finely chopped carrot
500g minced beef
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 cans chopped tomatoes
Splash red wine
A bay leaf and a few peppercorns
A few ground up dried porcini mushrooms

Sweat the first 4 ingredients in the fat from the pancetta with a bit of olive oil. Fry off the mince. Add the rest and simmer long and slow - 8 hours in the slow cooker would be my preference, followed by a day or two of 'maturation' in a cool place.

[hungry_hog]

I think the main ingredients of mince, red wine, onion, chopped tomato, tomato puree, garlic are pretty standard

Some other less obvious touches that help IMO:
- Grated carrot - really sweetens it up. If you look for the Ramsay recipe on you tube he uses this
- After you brown the mince drain off the fat, otherwise it will be greasy
- As mentioned above, couple of teaspoons of sugar (assuming you are cooking 400 - 500g mince)
- Worcester sauce
- Bay leaf or oregano
- Chicken stock (stock cube is fine for this)

[lazy_b]

Makaronia me kima (pasta with Greek-style meat and tomato sauce) is easier than bolognese and just as tasty. Sauce for four servings; approximate quantities (I usually guess):-

200/250g minced meat (I prefer beef, but lamb should work).
1 medium/large onion, finely chopped.
1 small/medium glass dry red wine.
1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes.
1 or 2 bay leaves.
1 spoonful fresh (chopped) or dried parsley.
Olive oil.

Optional:
1 inch cinnamon stick.
1 or 2 cloves.

Brown the mince in a little oil, then reserve.
Slowly fry the onion in oil until golden.
Return the mince to the onion and slowly add the wine (not too much at a time - we don't want to turn it into a stew).
Chuck in the tomatoes, and turn the heat up until they (just) start to boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer, and add the bay leaf/leaves.
(Optional: add the cinnamon stick and cloves).
Simmer for 20-30 minutes (taste occasionally if you have added cinnamon and/or cloves - remove if they threaten to overpower the other flavours).
Add the parsley and simmer for 20-30 minutes more.
Serve with your choice of pasta and grated parmesan.

[malbon]

OXO, Red wine, plenty of garlic, Decent Butcher quality mince. Fresh herbs. 3 hours simmer.

Many good chefs I know speak of putting chicken livers in there although I dont know why. Alas, i am not so brave.

[kiteless]

Mobile Chicane said:

A few slices of pancetta
1 finely chopped onion
2 finely chopped celery sticks
1 finely chopped carrot
500g minced beef
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 cans chopped tomatoes
Splash red wine
A bay leaf and a few peppercorns
A few ground up dried porcini mushrooms

Pretty much that.

Minus the celery, plus a splash of Balsamic.

[grumbledoak]

malbon said:

Many good chefs I know speak of putting chicken livers in there although I dont know why. Alas, i am not so brave.

With a slow cook the chicken livers dissolve leaving only a very meaty taste. Very nice, and I've been doing it more often recently (as we try to get iron into little grumbledoak).

[Mobile Chicane]

^^^ Chicken livers are good. They add an undefinable 'savouriness' to a slow-cooked dish. I haven't tried them in spag bog (yet) but I love them in jambalaya or 'dirty rice'.

[taldo50]

Less is more,

good pork mince, must be pork, more flavour!
onions
garlic
salsiccia diced finely, (spicy Italian sausage)
Tomato Puree
Tomato Passata
good red wine (dont cook with anything you wouldnt drink)
basil (fresh)

simmer with a lid on for as long as you like, longer makes it better. if it reduces to much, add a wine glass of water to cut the richness.

dont season the sauce, season the pasta water.

this is exactly how my mother used to make it. hope you try it its great.

Paul Cataldo.

Edited by taldo50 on Wednesday 24th June 00:02

Edited by taldo50 on Wednesday 24th June 00:04

[Mobile Chicane]

taldo50 said:

Less is more,

good pork mince, must be pork, more flavour!
onions
garlic
salsiccia diced finely, (spicy Italian sausage)
Tomato Puree
Tomato Passata
good red wine (dont cook with anything you wouldnt drink)
basil (fresh)

simmer with a lid on for as long as you like, longer makes it better. if it reduces to much, add a wine glass of water to cut the richness.

dont season the sauce, season the pasta water.

this is exactly how my mother used to make it. hope you try it its great.

Paul Cataldo.

Noted.

[ItsTony]

I always put celery and carrots in mine. Celery because its very fragrant when cooked and the carrot to add some sweetness without using something like sugar.

Also, the quality of the chopped / crushed tomato is very important since its the main ingredient. My cousin recommends San Marzano tomatoes but I'm not sure where you can get them.

[tog]

malbon said:

Many good chefs I know speak of putting chicken livers in there although I dont know why. Alas, i am not so brave.

I put liver in my spag bol, though don't tell my wife. It's like natural MSG, adds a bit of umami.

However, you all seem to have forgotten the nutmeg!

[Mexico.]

Mobile Chicane said:

A few slices of pancetta
1 finely chopped onion
2 finely chopped celery sticks
1 finely chopped carrot
500g minced beef
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 cans chopped tomatoes
Splash red wine
A bay leaf and a few peppercorns
A few ground up dried porcini mushrooms

Sweat the first 4 ingredients in the fat from the pancetta with a bit of olive oil. Fry off the mince. Add the rest and simmer long and slow - 8 hours in the slow cooker would be my preference, followed by a day or two of 'maturation' in a cool place.

Spot on

[whitechief]

I use this recipe it really is good.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/the...

Roberto Morisiani

Ingredients:

-250g of minced pork, loin or neck

-400g minced lean beef

-100g minced pancetta

-50g diced Parma ham

-75g cubed salsiccia (fresh Italian sausage)

-125g finely chopped onion

- 75g finely chopped carrot

- 50g finely chopped celery

-1 glass of red wine

-150g of tomato paste

- 400cl of meat stock

- salt and pepper

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil