A Recipe for Beef Bolognese

Step into any Italian restaurant and you are more than likely to find a pasta with Bolognese dish available on the menu. The dish is arguably the most popular/generic of pasta toppings around. It is the dish that an adventurous diner would order as a safe option, much like that of chocolate cake on a dessert menu. To be fair, a good dish of pasta Bolognese is extremely comforting. As with all things, the dish has to be properly made, of course.

Here is our simple recipe for a beautiful beef bolognese topping that could turn your home into an Italian restaurant. Cheers! 🙂

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Makes 4 to 5 servings
Serve this dish with some home-made fresh pasta or bread (baguettes, French Boule, foccacia)

Ingredients:

600g minced beef
1 onion, finely diced
3 long stalks of celery, finely diced
6 cloves of garlic, crushed/minced
200ml red wine (use an intensely full-bodied red wine like cabernet sauvignon)
305g canned tomato puree
250ml beef stock
1 tbsp dried oregano/basil/thyme/rosemary (a few sprigs of fresh herbs will do too)
4 to 5 dried bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: A few leaves of spinach

Method:

Season the beef with salt and pepper by gently mixing them with your hands.
Using a pot, sauté the onions, celery and garlic in the olive oil for about 2 minutes.
Add the beef in and break it up into smaller bits with a spatula. Let it brown evenly.
Add in the tomato puree, red wine, beef stock, bay leaves and herbs. Bring everything to a boil, then let it simmer without a lid on for about 40 to 60 minutes or till it reduces into a thick mixture.
Optional: Mix in a few leaves of spinach after the mixture thickens.
Add salt and pepper to taste and it is ready to be served.
We usually serve this dish with some home-made fresh pasta or bread (baguettes, French Boule, foccacia)