Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 40 min Ingredients 2tbl oil 400 g Beef, Mince, Extra Lean (5% fat), Raw 1 medium Onion, All Types, chopped 1 medium Courgette, grated 250 g Carrots, Old, Raw, chopped 1 medium Pepper, Yellow, Raw, deseeded and chopped 200 g Mushrooms, sliced 2 clove(s) Garlic, finely chopped or crushed 800 g Tomatoes, Whole or Chopped, Canned 2 tablespoons Tomato Purèe 1 tablespoons Mixed Herbs, Dried, use Italian 1 cube(s) Stock Cube, Vegetable, Beef or Chicken, made up with 200ml hot water 1 pinch Salt 1 g Pepper, Black (Whole, Cracked or Ground) 240 g Pasta, White, Dry, use spaghetti 6 leaf/leaves Basil, fresh, to garnish Instructions 1. Heat a large saucepan and pour in the oil . Add the mince and cook over a high heat. Don’t stir immediately, as you want the meat to really brown on the base, so give it a few moments – then turn to sear and brown on all sides.

2. Add the onion, courgette, carrots, pepper, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs and stock. Stir well and bring the mixture up to the boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with the lid and cook for 30-40 minutes. To reduce the liquid to thicken the sauce, remove the lid for the final 10-15 minutes.

4. To cook the spaghetti, first check the pack instructions – timings vary. If it’s quick cook it will only take 4-5 minutes. Wholewheat will take 9-12 minutes. Bring a large saucepan of water up to a rolling boil, then add a little salt. Gradually feed the spaghetti into the saucepan. Swirl it around the pan by stirring with a wooden spoon, then boil gently for the recommended cooking time. Avoid overcooking or boiling too vigorously.

5. Drain the pasta in a colander, then share it between 4 serving plates. Spoon the sauce on top, then serve, garnished with a few fresh basil leaves.