Do you like spaghetti bolognese?
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gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
And irritatingly wasn't on special offer at Tesco.
I always add extra pine nuts and capers anyway .. which reminds me I need to find a little jar so I can indulge in the occasional anchovy and keep the remainder in the fridge or freezer ...
quimcunx
imprimeo, lamino, distribuo
Puttanesca is supposedly named thusly because it was popular with prostitutes who had little time to prepare food between clients, and this was quick.
I was probably confusing spaghetti and tarannau.
Strumpet
gypsy girl
Maggot
The Cake of Liberty
yes, there doesn't seem to be any english food named after prostitutes, apart from Pop Tarts.
Maggot
The Cake of Liberty
I've never heard of any of those. Can you get them at Sainsburys?
prunus
Tick tock.
Waitrose, darling.
moose
like some cat from Japan
I do resort to jar sauces fairly frequently, to ensure we get our tea before 9pm.
Grossman's is too oily for me, but this week I had a jar of tomato and red wine sauce allegedly created by some rugby bloke called Dallaglio for Sacla', and it was delicious. Obviously I didn't bother adding meat, but the flavour was lovely - very similar to sauces I have had in Italy.
Grossman's is too oily for me, but this week I had a jar of tomato and red wine sauce allegedly created by some rugby bloke called Dallaglio for Sacla', and it was delicious. Obviously I didn't bother adding meat, but the flavour was lovely - very similar to sauces I have had in Italy.
BlueSquareThing
With chips
I have never understood those ready-made sauces in jars and tins. If you are cooking rather than re-heating processed food you need to select all the ingredients yourself. If you add in a ready-made sauce you are giving yourself all the additives, sugar, salt, flavour enhancers that you get in the processed food. You are also increasing the cost of your meal.
When I make spag bol it would not satisfy an Italian I am sure. I use a mixture of fresh tomatoes and tinned, sometimes with a dash of tomato puree. I add bits of bacon rasher to the mince as well. I have never tried adding milk though
When I make spag bol it would not satisfy an Italian I am sure. I use a mixture of fresh tomatoes and tinned, sometimes with a dash of tomato puree. I add bits of bacon rasher to the mince as well. I have never tried adding milk though
Boris Sprinkler
Dont be scared
A decent spaghetti bolognaise can be knocked up in 25 minutes tops.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
The way I look at it, I'm going to use tinned tomatoes anyway ...
Lloyd Grossman's Sweet Red Pepper :-
I've just picked up a couple of jars of Napolina's versions but haven't tried them yet.
Napolina Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce :-
Lloyd Grossman's Sweet Red Pepper :-
I've just picked up a couple of jars of Napolina's versions but haven't tried them yet.
Napolina Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce :-
Boris Sprinkler
Dont be scared
This is my recipe handed down from generations (my mum showed me once because I had to babysit my siblings that evening). I have made some improvements along the way.
Garlic 4 cloves.
Spanish Onion
453 grams of mince
2 oxo cubes
Tinned Tomatoes
Tomato Puree
Fresh Basil
Oregano
Fresh Coriander
Chilli Paste
Paprika
Chop onion, press garlic and fry both together until golden.
Add the mince.
Until browned off
Crumble in Oxo cubes.
Add small amount of chilli paste and oregano.
Bit of Paprika (just a sprinkle to add some colour)
Add some tomato puree.
Add tinned tomatoes
Simmer for a while (depends how hungry you are innit) stirring occasionally.
Shred in some fresh coriander, not alot
Shred in some basil
Stir, lower the heat.
Make your spaghetti, (I use fresh spaghetti or Capelli D'Angelo - very fine cooks very quickly), bring water to boil, chuck in spaghetti takes about two minutes
Once spaghetti is ready, serve on plates. Put your meat sauce on over the top.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
Garlic 4 cloves.
Spanish Onion
453 grams of mince
2 oxo cubes
Tinned Tomatoes
Tomato Puree
Fresh Basil
Oregano
Fresh Coriander
Chilli Paste
Paprika
Chop onion, press garlic and fry both together until golden.
Add the mince.
Until browned off
Crumble in Oxo cubes.
Add small amount of chilli paste and oregano.
Bit of Paprika (just a sprinkle to add some colour)
Add some tomato puree.
Add tinned tomatoes
Simmer for a while (depends how hungry you are innit) stirring occasionally.
Shred in some fresh coriander, not alot
Shred in some basil
Stir, lower the heat.
Make your spaghetti, (I use fresh spaghetti or Capelli D'Angelo - very fine cooks very quickly), bring water to boil, chuck in spaghetti takes about two minutes
Once spaghetti is ready, serve on plates. Put your meat sauce on over the top.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
LilMissHissyFit
Disturbed in a pink bra
this.....
its no more time consuming to make your own than use a jar and tastes much much better, its usually much cheaper too....
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
true, but simmering it for an hour and half will make it better.
better still, put it in the fridge after and reheat it tomorrow
I usually busk it and use up the veg bits in the fridge like going too soft for salad vine toms, peppers etc. Garlic and herbs (some from a selection growing just outside the kitchen door)
I like some paprika and loads of black pepper.
Now I've taken to using my slow cooker as well , really seems to add more 'depth' and it's good to come home to dinner ready and smelling great as I come into the house.
I like some paprika and loads of black pepper.
Now I've taken to using my slow cooker as well , really seems to add more 'depth' and it's good to come home to dinner ready and smelling great as I come into the house.
Boris Sprinkler
Dont be scared
yes, but the thread is about people that cook using ready made sauces with people complaining spaghetti is too much hassle. Not sure they would be interested in actual proper cooking.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
you are not
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
this is the way to do it:
PART I - THE MEATSAUCE
Caramelized onions
1 star anise
510 gr onions
25 ml extra virgin olive oil
Finely slice the onions. (or misread and dice them instead, like I did) Place a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Crush the star anise and bag it up in a square of muslin. (I didn’t) Add this to the pan, along with 25ml oil and the sliced onions. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the onions are soft and caramelised, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
For the soffrito
4 cloves of garlic
475 gr diced onion
390 gr diced carrot
300 gr diced celery stalk
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
Finely dice the onions, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. Preheat another large, heavybottomed frying pan over a low heat for 5 minutes. Pour 50ml oil into the pan, then tip in the garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook this soffritto over a medium- low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the raw onion smell has gone. Transfer the soffritto to your preheated crockpot and wipe clean the pan.
For the meat
50ml extra virgin olive oil
455 gr oxtail, boned and minced
280 gr pork, also grinded, although Heston used cubes
284 gr veal, minced (my addition)
650 ml Oaked Chardonnay (Chardonnay Reserve 2007, Viu Manent)
500 ml whole milk
Place the pan over a high heat for 10 minutes. Pour in 50ml olive oil and wait until it starts smoking: it must be hot enough so the meat browns rather than stews. Add the minced meat. Stir until browned all over. (To brown properly, all the meat has to touch the surface of the pan. If it doesn’t, do it in batches.) Tip the browned meat into a sieve over a bowl (to allow the fat to drain off), then transfer the meat to your crockpot. Deglaze the pan by adding a splash of wine, bringing it to the boil, and then scraping the base of the pan to collect all the tasty bits stuck to the bottom. Once the liquid has reduced by half, pour it into the crockpot containing the meat.
Remove the (bag of) star anise from the caramelised onions and then tip the onions into the crockpot containing the meat. Add the remaining wine and deglaze the frying pan. When the wine has reduced by half, pour it into the crockpot. Add the soffritto to the pot as well.
Pour in hot milk and enough hot water to cover entirely, and simmer on “Low” with the lid half on for 6 to 8 hours. At all times the ingredients should be covered by the liquid, so be prepared to add more water. (Don’t worry if the milk becomes slightly granular: it won’t affect the end result.)
PART II - THE TOMATO COMPOTE
1966 gr ripe tomatoes
1 tsp salt
200ml extra virgin olive oil
6 large cloves of garlic
340 gr finely diced onion
2 heaped tsp coriander seeds
2 star anise
6 cloves
8-10 drops Tabasco
8-10 drops Thai fish sauce
3 tsps Worcestershire sauce
2 heaped tbsp tomato ketchup
60ml sherry vinegar
1 bouquet garni (consisting of 7 sprigs of fresh thyme and 1 fresh bay leaf)
1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Fill a large bowl with ice-cold water. Make a cross with a sharp knife in the underside of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes by dropping them into the boiling water for 10 seconds and then carefully removing them to the bowl of ice-cold water. Take them out of the water immediately and peel off the split skins.
2. Cut the tomatoes in quarters. With your knife, scrape/scoop/cut out the seeds, the membrane and the cores. Roughly chop the seeds and membrane, then tip them into a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and leave for 20 minutes to extract their juice, after which you can discard the seeds and membrane, reserving only the juice.
3. Roughly chop the tomato flesh and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat. Add 100ml of the olive oil. Mince the garlic, then put it into the pan along with the onion. Cook for 10–15 minutes, until soft but not coloured.
5. Crush the coriander and put it in a muslin bag (or herb container), along with the star anise and the cloves. Add it to the softened onions and garlic.
6.Take the juice drawn from the tomato seeds and membrane and add it to the onions and garlic along with the tomato flesh.
7. Add the Tabasco, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup and sherry vinegar. Drop in the bouquet garni and cook over a low heat for 2 hours.
8. To add a roasted note to the compote, add the remaining oil and turn up the heat to high. Fry the compote for 15–20 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure it doesn’t catch, then pour off any olive oil not absorbed by the compote. Set aside a little to coat the cooked pasta. ( The rest can be stored in a jar and makes a great base for a salad dressing. The compote itself will keep in the fridge for a week.) I just didn’t trust this part and I was getting tired, so I skipped it. *oeps*
PART III - FINISHING THE SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
1 batch of tomato compote
1 batch of meatsauce
100g good quality spaghetti per person
sherry vinegar, to taste
Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
1 bouquet garni (in a sheet of leek, wrap 6 tarragon leaves, 4 sprigs of parsley and the leaves from the top of a bunch of celery)
unsalted butter
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Stir the tomato compote (including the bag of spices) into the meat-sauce and cook over a very low heat for a final 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Transfer as much sauce as you need this time to a baking pan and fry until all the excess liquid, as shown on the photo on the right has vapourized. Put the rest in freezer bags to freeze.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta. For every 100g of pasta, you’ll need 1 litre of water and 10g salt. (If you don’t have a large enough pan it’s essential to use two pans rather than overcrowd one.)
4. Put the spaghetti into the pan, give it a stir, then bring back to the boil and cook until the pasta is just tender but with a bite. Check the cooking time on the packet and use that as a guideline, but taste it every few minutes as this is the only way to judge when the pasta is ready.
5. Before taking the Bolognese sauce off the heat, check the seasoning and then add some sherry vinegar (tasting as you go) to balance the richness of the sauce. (I think I was too cautious here, I was afraid, after 3 days of cooking, I would ruine the sauce, hihi. Next time I will add a little extra) Add a generous grating of Parmesan (but not too much, as it can make the sauce overly salty) and remove the sauce from the heat. Take out the original thyme and bay bouquet garni and the bag of spices. Replace these with the parsley and tarragon bouquet garni, stir in 100g of unsalted butter and let the sauce stand for 5 minutes.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, drain, and rinse it thoroughly. Return to the pot to warm through. (Since the ragù is not going to be mixed with the pasta, it needs to be rinsed to prevent it becoming starchy and sticking together.) Add a generous knob of butter (about 50g per 400g of pasta) and coat with olive oil and the reserved oil from the final frying of the compote. To serve, wind portions of pasta around a carving fork and lay them horizontally in wide, shallow bowls. Top with the Bolognese sauce and finish with a grating of Parmesan.
it'll take you three days, at most
PART I - THE MEATSAUCE
Caramelized onions
1 star anise
510 gr onions
25 ml extra virgin olive oil
Finely slice the onions. (or misread and dice them instead, like I did) Place a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Crush the star anise and bag it up in a square of muslin. (I didn’t) Add this to the pan, along with 25ml oil and the sliced onions. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the onions are soft and caramelised, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
For the soffrito
4 cloves of garlic
475 gr diced onion
390 gr diced carrot
300 gr diced celery stalk
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
Finely dice the onions, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. Preheat another large, heavybottomed frying pan over a low heat for 5 minutes. Pour 50ml oil into the pan, then tip in the garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook this soffritto over a medium- low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the raw onion smell has gone. Transfer the soffritto to your preheated crockpot and wipe clean the pan.
For the meat
50ml extra virgin olive oil
455 gr oxtail, boned and minced
280 gr pork, also grinded, although Heston used cubes
284 gr veal, minced (my addition)
650 ml Oaked Chardonnay (Chardonnay Reserve 2007, Viu Manent)
500 ml whole milk
Place the pan over a high heat for 10 minutes. Pour in 50ml olive oil and wait until it starts smoking: it must be hot enough so the meat browns rather than stews. Add the minced meat. Stir until browned all over. (To brown properly, all the meat has to touch the surface of the pan. If it doesn’t, do it in batches.) Tip the browned meat into a sieve over a bowl (to allow the fat to drain off), then transfer the meat to your crockpot. Deglaze the pan by adding a splash of wine, bringing it to the boil, and then scraping the base of the pan to collect all the tasty bits stuck to the bottom. Once the liquid has reduced by half, pour it into the crockpot containing the meat.
Remove the (bag of) star anise from the caramelised onions and then tip the onions into the crockpot containing the meat. Add the remaining wine and deglaze the frying pan. When the wine has reduced by half, pour it into the crockpot. Add the soffritto to the pot as well.
Pour in hot milk and enough hot water to cover entirely, and simmer on “Low” with the lid half on for 6 to 8 hours. At all times the ingredients should be covered by the liquid, so be prepared to add more water. (Don’t worry if the milk becomes slightly granular: it won’t affect the end result.)
PART II - THE TOMATO COMPOTE
1966 gr ripe tomatoes
1 tsp salt
200ml extra virgin olive oil
6 large cloves of garlic
340 gr finely diced onion
2 heaped tsp coriander seeds
2 star anise
6 cloves
8-10 drops Tabasco
8-10 drops Thai fish sauce
3 tsps Worcestershire sauce
2 heaped tbsp tomato ketchup
60ml sherry vinegar
1 bouquet garni (consisting of 7 sprigs of fresh thyme and 1 fresh bay leaf)
1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Fill a large bowl with ice-cold water. Make a cross with a sharp knife in the underside of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes by dropping them into the boiling water for 10 seconds and then carefully removing them to the bowl of ice-cold water. Take them out of the water immediately and peel off the split skins.
2. Cut the tomatoes in quarters. With your knife, scrape/scoop/cut out the seeds, the membrane and the cores. Roughly chop the seeds and membrane, then tip them into a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and leave for 20 minutes to extract their juice, after which you can discard the seeds and membrane, reserving only the juice.
3. Roughly chop the tomato flesh and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat. Add 100ml of the olive oil. Mince the garlic, then put it into the pan along with the onion. Cook for 10–15 minutes, until soft but not coloured.
5. Crush the coriander and put it in a muslin bag (or herb container), along with the star anise and the cloves. Add it to the softened onions and garlic.
6.Take the juice drawn from the tomato seeds and membrane and add it to the onions and garlic along with the tomato flesh.
7. Add the Tabasco, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup and sherry vinegar. Drop in the bouquet garni and cook over a low heat for 2 hours.
8. To add a roasted note to the compote, add the remaining oil and turn up the heat to high. Fry the compote for 15–20 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure it doesn’t catch, then pour off any olive oil not absorbed by the compote. Set aside a little to coat the cooked pasta. ( The rest can be stored in a jar and makes a great base for a salad dressing. The compote itself will keep in the fridge for a week.) I just didn’t trust this part and I was getting tired, so I skipped it. *oeps*
PART III - FINISHING THE SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
1 batch of tomato compote
1 batch of meatsauce
100g good quality spaghetti per person
sherry vinegar, to taste
Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
1 bouquet garni (in a sheet of leek, wrap 6 tarragon leaves, 4 sprigs of parsley and the leaves from the top of a bunch of celery)
unsalted butter
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Stir the tomato compote (including the bag of spices) into the meat-sauce and cook over a very low heat for a final 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Transfer as much sauce as you need this time to a baking pan and fry until all the excess liquid, as shown on the photo on the right has vapourized. Put the rest in freezer bags to freeze.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta. For every 100g of pasta, you’ll need 1 litre of water and 10g salt. (If you don’t have a large enough pan it’s essential to use two pans rather than overcrowd one.)
4. Put the spaghetti into the pan, give it a stir, then bring back to the boil and cook until the pasta is just tender but with a bite. Check the cooking time on the packet and use that as a guideline, but taste it every few minutes as this is the only way to judge when the pasta is ready.
5. Before taking the Bolognese sauce off the heat, check the seasoning and then add some sherry vinegar (tasting as you go) to balance the richness of the sauce. (I think I was too cautious here, I was afraid, after 3 days of cooking, I would ruine the sauce, hihi. Next time I will add a little extra) Add a generous grating of Parmesan (but not too much, as it can make the sauce overly salty) and remove the sauce from the heat. Take out the original thyme and bay bouquet garni and the bag of spices. Replace these with the parsley and tarragon bouquet garni, stir in 100g of unsalted butter and let the sauce stand for 5 minutes.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, drain, and rinse it thoroughly. Return to the pot to warm through. (Since the ragù is not going to be mixed with the pasta, it needs to be rinsed to prevent it becoming starchy and sticking together.) Add a generous knob of butter (about 50g per 400g of pasta) and coat with olive oil and the reserved oil from the final frying of the compote. To serve, wind portions of pasta around a carving fork and lay them horizontally in wide, shallow bowls. Top with the Bolognese sauce and finish with a grating of Parmesan.
it'll take you three days, at most
i like jar sauces
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
I usually make it myself, but Ragu is the shittest and Lloyd Grossman's is the least shit of all the premade sauces. If you think the Ragu sauce in a jar is in any way close to bolognaise, then you don't know what a bolognaise is, you're just making mince with a tomato/sugar sauce.
fractionMan
Custom Title
wtf is this "spaghetti is too much hassle" shit?
In what way is it any more hassle than say, any other pasta at all? Oh yeah, you have to poke it down. Once.
Just how lazy are you?
In what way is it any more hassle than say, any other pasta at all? Oh yeah, you have to poke it down. Once.
Just how lazy are you?
