Bolognese Sauce
What you need
- Olive oil 1 teaspoon.
- Onions 1 large, finely chopped.
- Crushed garlic 1 teaspoon.
- Lean minced beef 300g.
- Carrot 1, grated.
- Zucchini 1, grated.
- Pepper, green or red 1, finely diced.
- Pasta sauce 1 x 400-500g jar.
- Chilli flakes 1/4 teaspoon, optional.
- Basil or oregano 1 teaspoon dried.
- Sugar 2 teaspoons
- Canned brown lentils 1 x 400g can
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 - 20 minutes
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft.
- Add mince and cook for a few minutes until partially browned. Add carrot, zucchini and peppers and cook a few minutes, stirring to prevent sticking to the pan.
- Add pasta sauce and herbs and simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
- Add lentils and sugar, taste and add more seasonings as necessary.
Uses for Bolognese Sauce:
- Spaghetti Bolognese - serve sauce over spaghetti or fettucini. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with green salad.
- Baked Pasta - mix with some cooked macaroni, spirals or penne pasta, transfer to a baking dish, top with grated edam cheese and some bread crumbs and bake at 180°C until topping is crisp and golden brown.
- Lasagne - use as meat sauce.
- Chilli con carne - add a can of chilli beans (to make it spicier, add some chilli powder or minced chilli); serve with rice.
- Tacos / Burritos - use chilli con carne and add shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, grated cheese, sliced red onion and unsweetened yoghurt to make delicious tacos or burritos.
- Nachos - top a pile of corn chips with chilli con carne, yoghurt or light sour cream, grated edam cheese and chopped tomato.
- Saucy spud - cut open a hot jacket potato; top with sauce, shredded lettuce, yoghurt and cheese.
- Shepherd's pie - half fill a baking dish with meat sauce, top with mashed potato and bake at 180°C until meat is bubbling and potato topping crisp and slightly browned.