Enough for 1kg pasta ribbons (about 12 servings) • Preparation: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
• 30ml each olive oil and butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 plump carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 bay leaves, a sprig of parsley and 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1kg beef mince
• 500g pork mince
• 250g bacon, chopped
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves (optional)
• 250ml full-cream milk
• a generous pinch of grated nutmeg
• 250ml dry white or light red wine
• 800g tinned whole plum tomatoes
• 60ml tomato paste
• grated Parmesan, to serve
• fresh basil (optional)
Why whole tomatoes?
Whole tomatoes are less processed than chopped tomatoes, which means they retain more of the natural tomato flavour and sweetness.
Serve the bolognese sauce
on a bed of buttered pasta ribbons with freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan. Fresh basil from the garden tastes delicious, but it's another one of those extra ingredients that isn't traditionally used. Alternatively, let the sauce cool completely and freeze in portions. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before use.
1 Melt the oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the vegetables and gently fry them over medium heat until soft and glossy (about 5 minutes). Add the herbs.
2 Stir the mincemeat and bacon in the pot and fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to brown. You can increase the heat for this step. Break the meat into smaller pieces with a spatula, continuously. Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste. If you like garlic, you can now add a coarsely chopped clove or two.
3 Stir in the milk and simmer until the milk has almost reduced entirely. Stir in the nutmeg.
4 Stir in the wine of your choice and cook until reduced. I find red wine can sometimes overpower the sauce, but personal preference should guide you here.
5 Stir the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste into the meat. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the whole tomatoes into slightly smaller pieces and stir through.
6 Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce the heat low enough so that the sauce just bubbles and simmers gently for at least 3 hours, without a lid. The idea is that the sauce reduces and intensifies in flavour. If the sauce looks too dry before the time is up, you can add a bit of boiling water. Just make sure the water boils away again. You want the fat to form a layer on top of the meat. Stir again until combined, then check the seasoning; add salt and pepper if needed.
LOADED SCALLOPED POTATO ROLL
The internet has many versions of this impressive dish – with everything from lentil stew to bacon and eggs rolled up in the crispy potato layer. Our version was inspired by the original Tasty.co video. (See step-by-step photos on page 61.)
Makes 6 slices • Preparation: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes • Oven temperature: 180°C
• olive oil for greasing and shallow-frying
• about 200ml grated Parmesan
• 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 2mm-thick slices
• 15ml olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 500g mincemeat
• 5ml BBQ spice (choose your favourite)
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
• a large handful of baby spinach, blanched
• 300g ricotta
• cayenne pepper, fresh fennel fronds and lemon zest, to taste
• 2 brinjals, sliced and char-grilled
• a sprinkling of chopped parsley
• about 9 slices mozzarella
Preheat the oven. Line a rectangular baking tray (about 29 × 34cm) with baking paper and grease with a little olive oil. Sprinkle a layer of Parmesan over the surface and arrange the potato slices in rows so that they overlap slightly and form a scallop pattern. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan over, season with a pinch of salt and bake for 30 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through. Heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the mincemeat and fry until done. Season to taste with salt and pepper or use your favourite BBQ spice mix; we like As soon as the potato layer comes out of the oven, arrange the blanched spinach on top. Season the ricotta to taste with salt and cayenne pepper, fresh fennel fronds and lemon zest, and spoon over the spinach in a single layer. Arrange the brinjal on top. (This is not in the original recipe, but I love the flavour combination; it also gives the dish body.) Spoon the cooked mince on top of the brinjal and sprinkle with the parsley. (I leave a 4cm border open at the top as it makes the rolling-up process easier.) Finally, place the slices of mozzarella in a single layer on top of the mince. (You can also use grated cheese, if preferred.) Now, with the help of the baking paper, roll up the layers, starting from the side where the 4cm border has been left. Work slowly and carefully. Finish with the seam side down. Bake your masterpiece for a final 15 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve in thick slices.
