A healthy batch cook recipe that can be used in so many ways!
For this Bolognese recipe, I’ve added loads of hidden veg to give it an extra boost of nutrients.
(Five, count ‘em, FIVE veggies packed into this bad boy!)
It made enough for dinner last night, lunch today and FOUR freezer portions to use later in the month.
The nice thing about a Bolognese sauce is that it can be served in so many different ways, to keep your menu varied and interesting, for example...
Spaghetti Bolognese
Lasagna
Stuffed peppers
Cottage pie
Minestrone soup
Add some different spices, beans and corn to turn it into a chilli
Add Indian spices to make a keema curry
Add Moroccan spices to make a Moroccan dish
So many different options, all from one session of cooking!
The work required to turn your dish into something else is minimal, meaning you can spend much less time in the kitchen and much more time with the kids or just relaxing.
Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves
2 red onions
2 white onions
4 celery sticks
4 carrots
2kg beef & pork mince
280g smoked pancetta
4 tbsp tomato purée
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
800g passata
800ml beef stock
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp each of salt & pepper
Instructions:
Roughly chop your carrots (don't bother peeling them - just wash them), celery, peppers and onions and peel the garlic cloves, then shove the whole lot into a food processor and blitz it up until it's very finely chopped and the consistency of a sauce. You may need to do this in batches if you can’t fit it all in at once.
In a large, deep frying pan, heat the olive oil then brown the mince in batches, draining off any excess fat, then set it aside in a big bowl.
Fry the veg mix until cooked and translucent (about 15-20 mins) then add it to the mince and mix well.
Fry the pancetta until it’s starting to go crispy, then add the mince and veg mix back into the pan (you may need to separate the mixture into two large pans at this point).
Add the tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, tinned tomatoes, passata, herbs, stock and seasoning. Stir well, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and let it cook for 1.5 hours.
Remove the lid and let it and cook for another 30 minutes or so uncovered, to thicken the sauce.