A Bolognese is the family favourite recipe, the children’s favourite. Or as they say in Italy, the Ragu alla Bolognese. My recipe for Bolognese or Bolognaise as the British spell it, is rich in flavour and uses beef mince only , but you could use half beef and half pork mince, it’s your choice.

For more recipes please visit www.knorr.co.uk

Makes – 1 or 2 liters

Preparation Time – 20 mins

Cooking Time – 60-90 mins

Ingredients for 1 litre:

500g lean minced beef

1 medium onion

1 stick of celery

1 carrot

2 cloves of garlic

A small sprig of thyme

175ml red wine (optional)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 Knorr Beef Stock Pot

200ml tomato passata

1 can of chopped tomatoes

50 gms cherry tomatoes

1 bay leaf

10gms dark chocolate

1/2 small red chilli chopped

Fresh basil  and parmesan to garnish

Marco’s Top Tip

Always evaporate the water off at each stage – sweating the vegetables, adding the wine, stock – by doing this, you intensify flavor

Method

1. Chop the carrots, onion and celery as finely as possible. By chopping finely it allow s all the flavours to be released into the bolognese. (My Mum used to mince all the garlic, celery, onions, carrots and meat together.)
2. Take the garlic cloves (you can use as much or as little as you like), crush them with the back of y our knife and then slice them finely. Once sliced, add a little salt to the slices. Using the back of your knife again, mash it into a paste. The salt helps to get the paste really smooth and fine, but you can just use a garlic crusher or a food processor.

1. Add a generous amount of olive oil to a large saucepan or stove-top casserole.
2. Over a low heat add the carrots, celery, garlic and onion. By cooking down slowly, without colour, it allows the natural sweetness in the carrot to come out.
3. Add the beef and cook with the vegetables to render the fat out of it. If there is excess fat, you can simply pour it off and then proceed to make y our bolognese. In Italy, they use half beef and half pork. My recipe is all beef.
4. Seal off the mince – by doing this you evaporate off all the water, which intensifies the flavour of the beef. Work the beef by stirring it thoroughly, lifting the meat to break down all the lumps for a smooth sauce.
5. Add the red wine (this is optional) and evaporate off. Add the tinned tomato and passata and the Beef Knorr Stock Pot and evaporate off.
6. Bring back to the boil and add a couple of bay leaves and a few sprigs of thyme.
7. Let the sauce cook for 1 ½ -2 hours, slowly, with the lid on.
8. Once cooked, discard the thyme and bay leaves. These have released all their flavour and are no longer needed. Your bolognese is now ready to finish by grating the chocolate in and adding the chopped chilli.
9. Fry the cherry tomatoes in a little olive oil and add to sauce.
10. To serve top with the fresh basil and finish with parmesan cheese.