Best Spaghetti Sauce Ever

This simple-to-prepare Italian staple doesn’t need to be stodgy. In fact with the right recipe Spaghetti Bolognaise can be a true taste sensation.

Spaghetti Bolognaise is a hearty favorite and, along with that other Italian classic risotto, probably pretty high on most diners’ guilty culinary pleasures lists. But how does the adventurous cook spice it up to create a truly unforgettable pasta plate? Simply by following this straightforward recipe…

Spaghetti Bolognaise

1 lb ground beef
1 brown onion
1 capsicum
6 Swiss brown mushrooms
1 carrot
1 bird’s eye chilli
2 cloves garlic
1 14oz can diced tomato
1 14oz jar tomato pasta sauce
1 sachet tomato paste
oregano
ground black pepper
salt
brown sugar
1/2 glass red wine (the cheaper the better)
1 cube vegetable stock
fresh spaghetti strands
parmesan cheese

Spaghetti Bolognaise Method

1. The bolognaise sauce needs to be prepared first. Chop up the onion, carrot and capsicum finely, and the bird’s eye chilli very finely (removing seeds first if preferred).
2. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips.
3. Place a large pot on the hot plate and turn it up to medium high. Add a few decent dashes of olive oil. Once it heats up throw in the onions and sizzle them for about 3 minutes or until they soften. Throw in the finely chopped chilli and give it a stir.
4. Add the ground beef. Continue stirring until it browns then turn the hot plate down to medium.
5. Throw in the carrot, capsicum and mushrooms and toss them around. Work them into the beef.
6. Now it’s time to turn the key ingredients into a sauce. Add the canned tomatoes, the tomato pasta sauce and the garlic. Sprinkle in a liberal dose of oregano and give everything a good stir.
7. Now to thicken the sauce. Squeeze the contents of the tomato sauce sachet into the pot and work it into the mix. Add the 1/3 glass of wine (this will really bring out the flavours) as well as 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and continue stirring.
8. It’s finally time to give that stirring arm a rest. Turn the hot plate down to low, place a lid on the sauce with a one inch gap to let it breathe and leave it to simmer for about half an hour.
9. Upon returning scoop a spoonful out and do the taste test… Is it spicy enough? Are the flavours coming through? Add salt and pepper to taste and give it another good stir. Leave it to simmer for at least another hour (the longer you cook this sauce the more it reduces and the tastier it will be) checking on it and giving it a stir every half hour.
10. Meal time is coming around and now it’s time to cook the spaghetti. Fill another large pot with water and turn up the heat until it boils. Add a dash of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a vegetable stock cube (this is a trick used by chefs – it will soak partially into the pasta and enhance the flavour).
11. Throw the pasta in. If it is fresh it will only require a few minutes. Dried packaged spaghetti may take up to 15 minutes. Consult the pack.
12. When your spaghetti is al dente (not to hard not too soft – just extract a strand and check) it is time to serve. Turn off the stove and pour your pasta into a strainer to strain out the water.

Serving Spaghetti Bolognaise

When your spaghetti is al dente (not to hard not too soft – just extract a strand and check) it is time to serve. Turn off the stove and pour your pasta into a strainer to strain out the water.

With a spaghetti claw, serve up a generous amount of spaghetti into each of the four pasta bowls. Take the lid off the sauce pan and spoon an even more generous dollop of sauce onto each mound of spaghetti. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and serve with a nice glass of sangiovese or chianti. Buon appetito!