🍝 Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Bolognese is a classic Italian-inspired pasta dish made with spaghetti noodles topped with a rich, slow-cooked meat and tomato sauce.
🧾 Ingredients:
For the sauce:
- 250–500g ground beef (or mix beef + lamb)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2–3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 carrot (finely chopped, optional)
- 1 celery stalk (optional, finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp oil or butter
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes or 3–4 fresh tomatoes (blended)
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano or mixed Italian herbs
- ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
- ½ cup water or beef stock
For pasta:
- 250g spaghetti
- Salt (for boiling water)
👩🍳 Instructions:
1. Cook spaghetti
- Boil salted water
- Cook spaghetti until al dente
- Drain and set aside (save a little pasta water)
2. Cook the meat
- Heat oil in a pan
- Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery
- Sauté until soft
- Add ground beef and cook until browned
3. Build the sauce
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes
- Add crushed tomatoes, seasoning, and stock/water
- Simmer on low heat for 20–30 minutes until thick and rich
4. Combine
- Toss spaghetti into the sauce or serve sauce on top
- Add a splash of pasta water if needed for silkiness
🍽️ Serving Ideas:
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese 🧀
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley
- Serve with garlic bread
🔥 Tips:
- Slow simmer = deeper flavor
- Don’t rush the sauce (it improves over time)
- Add a pinch of sugar if tomatoes are too sour
- A splash of milk can make it extra creamy (traditional trick in some versions)
🌟 Variations:
- Spicy Bolognese – add chili flakes
- Creamy Bolognese – stir in cream at the end
- Chicken Bolognese – lighter version with minced chicken
- Veg Bolognese – use lentils or mushrooms instead of meat
If you want, I can give you a restaurant-style thick Bolognese, a quick 15-minute version, or a Pakistani fusion spicy spaghetti 👍
