After reading about stirring Bolognese sauce through pasta to save money, I wondered if there were any "obvious" tips I could use?

[RhubarbThumb]

The thread advised you'd use less meat if you stir the sauce through the pasta and then serve. I did this yesterday and it used maybe half as much meat, maybe less, we still enjoyed our dinner.

I pad out mince dishes with red lentils, as my tip.

Also, make pizza at home with dough from yoghurt and flour, and then minimal toppings, but increase things like spinach in there.

Anything else?

She has explained upthread that she cooks it in batches and the batch does for more meals if she stirs it through.

How can you be confused? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t serve it in separate dishes.

How can some people still not understand.. 😂😩

Mix the stuffing mix with boiled water as the instructions on the box say, then just spread it over whenever you want and bake for about 30 mins 🙂

I am not fond of lentils.

My secret ingredient to mince beef recipes like cottage pie or chilli is refried beans. Two tins added to the slow cooker with 500g mince and all the veg makes a really smooth and filling chilli/cottage pie.

I've never had homemade chilli that wasn't watery gack in comparison with crappy lumps of tomato.

Thing is, I understand what OP is saying, but it doesn't really make any sense.

If the optimum amount of sauce for a portion of pasta is 50g, it doesn't suddenly become 25g just because its stirred in. So the dish with 25g stirred in isn't going to be as tasty or filling as the dish with 50g, regardless of whether that 50g is stirred in or dolloped on top.

I serve spag bol both dolloped and stirred and I would use the same amount of sauce for either method, as that's the right amount of sauce for a tasty, balanced dish. My family would absolutely notice if I suddenly halved the amount of sauce served, regardless of whether it was served dolloped or stirred in.

I think the idea is being presented as stirring in halves the amount of sauce needed and that isn't true. The same amount of sauce is needed regardless of the method of serving if you still want the dish to taste good and be filling.

Really?

I've not had (made myself or by anyone else) pasta with sauce separately or dolloped on top since my mum used to make spag bol in the early 80s.

Because, like OP said, most people would take more bolognese when it is not stirred in, because it does not look like a lot when you put it on top of the pasta. It’s when you stir it in you notice that you took a bit too much of it.

Yes really. And that includes a three week pasta & wine holiday in Tuscany.

Also most people prefer to pick the amount of pasta and bolognese they want to eat.

It's a thing. It would take 3 seconds if googling to widen your world view.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sauce+on+top+of+pasta

My mind's blown

'widen your world view.'
That's me told

Mine too 😂

But honestly, it’s just what you prefer. I like pasta that is only coated in bolognese, DH prefers more bolognese than pasta.

I’m not from the UK, but I will never forget when I went to an Italian place and it was full of people from the UK. They all ordered pasta and wanted chips as a side. They had to explain it a few times before the waiter understood fully. I was just as confused back then tbf.

I agree.
The difference is so so minimal ( in act I can't tell!) that fresh pasta is not worth the extra money imo

That must have been some years ago!

I always thought that there wasn't a quality difference between fresh and dried pasta as such – it's just that dried is better for some sauces and fresh for others.

Many years ago!

But I was in London a few weeks ago and it was still a thing in some places, so I don’t know.

I agree. Isn’t dried pasta made without eggs?

Well, I'd serve up the correct amount of sauce per person, regardless of whether it was dolloped or stirred in, and I can't imagine I'm the only one.

So stirring it in makes no difference.

If you are serving up too much sauce, then serve less, regardless of dolloping or stirring in. Its just not true that if you stir it up no-one will notice you've halved the amount of sauce.

I don’t know, but yes, that’d make sense . I always think fresh is better for creamy or buttery sauces and dried for meat ones and tomato-based ones.

It's the Italian way!

Agree. Fresh is awful with meat ones for some reason.

I might find your correct amount different to my correct amount though. So would prefer to decide for myself.

Macaroni cheese - make the sauce blitzing half a cooked butternut squash (I cur into cubes add some water and cover and microwave about 6 mins) wish a dash of milk then reheat and stir in grated mature cheese in. If you add a bit of mustard it tastes cheesier without adding more cheese and due to being mature cheese don't need as much. Its healthier, quicker and cheaper.

Herb dumplings ontop of stews, casseroles etc makes it more filling

Herb ice cubes - often very cheap end of the day at supermarkets so pick them up blitz and freeze

I'm also a buy and cook a larger joint of meat and do multiple meals type of person!

Quorn pieces work great for curries etc cheaper, leaner and high protein

Is it? I don't think I've ever tried. How interesting that it can make that much difference.
I guess it's a food rule that exists for a reason!