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

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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?

The fact of the matter is that the same amount of sauce is required regardless of whether its dolloped on top or stirred in. The act of stirring in does not save money. Serving the appropriate amount of sauce does, which can be done regardless of whether you dollop or stir. If you're putting too much sauce on, then reduce the amount, but you don't need to stir it in to do that.

It’s only my personal opinion, everyone should just eat what they prefer..life is too short for anything else.

My DM had an Italian BF when I was a kid many years ago and he always said we made too much bolognese. He would half the bolognese amount and stir it through the pasta before serving.
I have since reverted to the UK way of serving.

I'm amazed how this thread has evolved to be six pages of bolognaise discussion. My mum always dolloped, but mind you she served chilli and curry in a ring of rice as well!

I think it boils down to being a bit of an example of food psychology - like the studies that show you will generally serve yourself less food if you're given a smaller plate. I expect this mixed in or dolloped on top has probably been studied somewhere as well.

This thread may well be evidence that we all need to get out more 😅

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I literally use half the amount than I used to each meal time because I stir it through before serving.Because, when I put half the amount in top of pasta, it looks like it's not enough, and people serve themselves more sauce.

Yes, I could cook half the amount and get them to suck it up. But I batch cook to save time and money.

Good tip about the mustard making it need less cheese. I'll try that next time!

plenty of dries pasta are made with egg.
I think the more expensive ones tend to be

You are being very patient. I’m impressed.

I think you have misunderstood OP.

It reminds me if the posters who willfully misunderstand Performance Parent and just go "oh, so now we're not allowed to talk to our kids now? / I talk to my kids so sue me". 😂

I really haven't.

She was previously serving up too much, now she's serving up the right amount. What I'm saying is that serving the right amount doesn't depend on stirring it through, and many (most) people manage to serve the right amount without having to stir it all up.

It's not the act of stirring that saves money, it's the act of not serving up too much.

If you're cooking double portions (or more) don't make the excess available for people to help themselves to or just tell them not to have it as it's reserved for another meal.

PEOPLE TAKE MORE SAUCE WHEN THEY PUT IT ON TOP.

When they put the smaller amount on top of pasta, they look like they've been short changed and want to put more on, they then compensate with more cheese etc.

I started stirring half the amount through the pasta, and nobody has ever asked for more sauce, where as before THEY DID.

now I am losing patience.

SO TELL THEM NOT TO BECAUSE ITS FOR ANOTHER MEAL.

Stirring does not save money, not serving too much does. Do you really not get that?

I don't need to, because I stir it in.

It’s not the act of stirring that saves money, it's the act of not serving up too much.

No, I know. Where I live noone would plate food up for their family or guests though, people would always serve themselves as everyone has different preferences. And then it’s very easy to misjudge the correct amount of bolognese sauce.

I understand what you mean.

But the act of me stirring it in means I have used half the amount I used to.

So sorry for trying to share a tip.

Sorry we're not all perfect and all serve exactly right amount of sauce.

So?

The same could have been achieved by simply serving up the correct amount and not stirring.

Stirring is not some magic trick and a dish with half the sauce will taste different to a dish with twice that amount. My family are clever enough to realise that, and wouldn't be fooled by half the required amount stirred through, nor are they so gluttonous as to help themselves to double sized portions.

fgs op your point totally makes sense and some posters could start an argument in an empty room 😁 (‘It’s not empty, there is carpet on the floor etc etc’)

I don’t buy chicken breasts I roast a large chicken and make two meals for four from it such as curry, pasta (dolloped sauce unless baked), jambalaya, stir fry etc. I find this method cheaper and easier. I don’t try and stretch it to 15 meals as I’m happy with the meat to cost ratio.

Fine.

Your family and friends are perfect.

We're not.

I'm wrong

You're right

I get it.

I used to make a tuna rice bake that my DC loved. The cheese sauce was made using the oil from the tuna rather than butter.

OK then OP.

I find chicken breasts have got much bigger now. So when I cook a meal I only use one per 2 people as that the correct amount by weight. I cut them into strips rather than cubes. Obviously it's the strip shape that saves money, not the fact that I'm only using half a breast per person rather than a whole breast per person.

Ok, I'm being facetious about the shapes. But genuinely I do think chicken breasts seem huge now compared to how they used to be and I never use a whole one per person any more, even if the recipe says one per person.

Beg to differ on dolloped sauces looking more photogenic. They recall for me my mum's box of faintly grim recipe cards (was it Good Housekeeping?) from the 70s and 80s.

I can’t wait for someone to post that they serve curry as a dollop in the middle of a ring of rice.

I don’t serve curry like that, no, but when I was growing up in the 80s it certainly seemed to be normal.