Recipe : Spaghetti Bolognaise

I almost never order this dish from any restaurant because most of them never quite get their spaghetti bolognaise to taste just right. To me, it has to be not too sour, not too strong smell of herbs or rough textures of the grounded meat plus no funny stuffs in there like carrots or even cucumber. And no tomatoes skin. So ya, it is hard to please my tastebuds where spaghetti Bolognaise is concerned.

Recipe : Spaghetti Bolognaise

1 packet of spaghetti, cook according to instructions (this is enough to serve at least 4-5 people. You may cook the sauce and freeze part of them,. Then, boil just half a packet of spaghetti if there are less people eating)
300 grams grounded beef – mix with about 1 tablespoon of corn flour to make it less ‘rough/sandy’

1 can Italian whole tomatoes in its own juice usually more expensive than Australian made but they tastes better) – keep the whole can of juice to be used later
1 can button mushroom – remove water, cut into thin slices

1 large onion – chopped
half a bulb of garlic – chopped

2 slices cheddar cheese

Flavours – Whatever you have in your kitchen, dried herbs, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, just anything that ‘smells western’

2 tablespoon of butter and some olive oil (you can use normal oil)

Method

Heat butter and oil. Fry chopped garlic and onion till fragrant. Add in grounded beef. Stir till turned colour, add in tomatoes and mushroom plus all the flavourings. Do not add the cheese yet.

Cook over slow fire for at least 45 mins to an hour. The purpose of this lengthy cooking is to brings out the flavour of the onions and garlic which will blend well with the tartness of the tomatoes and soften the beef at the same time. The slow cooking will make the sauce wholesome and hearty.

Add in the cheese just before turning off the fire. The cheese will melt. Taste and add more seasonings if required. The sauce musn’t be too sour, so adding a teaspoon of sugar may enhance the taste.

I serve the spaghetti with a sprinkle of Pescano cheese. Can be found in the cold section of supermarket in small packets, cost about RM3. Like powdery form. It smells better than Parmesan because most people cannot stand the smell of Parmesan, especially those sold in cans. Ewwss…

When serving bolognaise, avoid pouring too much spaghetti sauce on the pasta because the taste of bolognaise is very overpowering when use too much. Just a slight coating on the pasta will brings on the appetite. Just store whatever balance sauce for another day as it can freeze well.

There, I have almost every recipe for pasta on this site, from vongole to alio oglio to spicy and creamy plus baked pasta. Oh yeah, I have even made homemade ravioli before too. I developed the love for pasta after my trip to Italy several years ago. (check my related post at the end of the page (or sidebar).

Feedback on Terengganu – I am going to T’ganu end of this week.  Any good tips for eating  and shopping in T’ganu itself?   

8 Replies to “Recipe : Spaghetti Bolognaise”

  1. wow… shiok la yr spaghetti… i am now eating soup noodle in front of the monitor and came accross yr post…hmmm tonight must make already! i like to use can tomatoes too but i throw away the water..

  2. I make bolognese quite often too, but mine’s the one which takes 2-3 hours on the stove, has carrots and uses milk and wine. Tastes really good and authentic, mince is really tender and it’s very different from shortcut recipes. Since you have pressure cooker and that cuts down the time, maybe you can try it too!

  3. probably u want to try the famous coffee shop..but forget the name…if i am not mistaken it is in chukai / kemaman…they have been on tv few times..famous for their coffee and also their roti bakar..

  4. 350 gr, meat – beef or pork, or half and half
    2 cans tomatoes
    a small amount of carrot-onion and celery finely cut
    oil
    wine

    Let’s fry in oil the vegetables until they will be tender and the onion transparent, then add meat and let it “roast” for nearly 10 minutes .
    Add half glass of wine, and let it dry.
    Put in the tomatoes, adjust of salt , and cook gently for 3 . 4 hours.
    Serve with any kind of pasta- the better is tagliatelle – and parmigiano, or a similar cheese.
    Tiziana from Bologna

  5. go terrengganu? are you going to visit pulau redang/perhentian?

    let me know of the weather there ok? I am thinking of going too 🙂

  6. Try using pomodoro passata instead of canned whole tomatoes. Not as sour.

    Basil is a good herb to use. You wouldn’t want to use oregano or the like. Spoils the taste / smell, I think.

    And urm…I like the “smelly foot cheese” aka parmesan 🙂 The cheddar is a bit on the salty side for me 😛

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