To ask what you throw in your spaghetti bolognese

[bluebells100]

Just wondered what you all put in it to give it more flavour and also to bulk it out to make it go round more.

@cattoddlerrising Beans ... I'm shuddering at the thought! But I don't think an Italian would own many of these suggestions - lentils, peppers, apricot jam! are NOT a spaghetti bolognese!
But a dash of milk makes a big difference. Try Anna del Conte's recipe and you'll never look back.

Bacon lardons
Carrots
Celery
Sun-dried tomatoes blended into a paste
Oregano
Garlic paste
Pasata sauce
Onions
Stock cube
Good lean minced steak

I've always been more concerned with how many veges I could stuff in there, than being authentic. I had a work colleague of DH's come to tea, wolfing it down very appreciatively as the first home cooked meal he'd had in ages, stating (rather proudly) how utterly devoid his diet had been of veges. His face was a picture when he found out all the veges he'd just eaten. Including mushrooms. Which he'd always refused to eat. Heh, heh.

Baked beans
Puréed spinach leaves

Oh! I forgot the big handful of spinach at the end!

Thanks newbingepisodes

Baked beans
Puréed spinach leaves

Is this for real?

Finely chopped carrots, celery, courgette, mushroom - mainly these but any other veg lying around.
Half a cup or so of frozen peas.
Tin or two of green lentils definitely helps bulk it out and makes it lighter.
Tin of chopped toms and passata.

Yy to milk !

Any and everything! (Eyes passing cat thoughtfully). Seriously: it takes me back to my student days making a spag bol (vegetarian), my chilli non carne is a similar repository of all sorts of random leftovers. Somehow it works.

(Eyes passing cat thoughtfully)

(Cat unobtrusively (or so it hopes) picks up speed. . .)

To 1x 500g pack of mince, I add:

Lots of onions and garlic
3 or 4 carrots
half a courgette
a large punnet of mushrooms
sometimes some butternut squash
sometimes the stalk from a broccoli crown (my local supermarket gives them away free "for rabbits" - lots of people pull off the florets so this is their way of reducing waste)
sometimes some Lidl bacon lardons (mostly though if its as a lasagna sauce)
Lots of tinned tomatoes and some tomato puree
Splosh of red wine
Herbs

All the veg are finely diced in the food processor so none of the family realise they are in there. In fairness, they would eat most of them, except the broccoli stalk or courgette.

I also use broccoli stalk sliced into strips as part of a mixed veg stirfry, especially with a Chinese sauce.

And I love courgettes so they are always in the fridge, just not eaten that much by DH and never willingly by DD.

Fennel is amazing in a spag Bol. I added marmite yesterday.

Whatever's in the fridge. But I always cook it for at least 3 hours. That is what makes all the difference.

Onion, celery, carrot
Beef and pork mince
Wine
Pancetta
Tomato purée
Stock
Sometimes milk

Grated carrot, courgette, mushroom, pepper, onion and garlic.

Anchovies - the ones in the slim tin. Use the oil for frying the onion. Put the anchovies in later.
Beef stock cube.
Worcestershire sauce. Dried mixed herbs.
Tinned chopped tomatoes. Will use pasaata if I've got one open. But prefer tinned chopped tomatoes. If I have bacon in the fridge I put it in, don't fry it. If I've overripe tomatoes I'll put them in as well
Cook in slow cooker for hours to let all the flavours really cool thru.

Beef stock, mushroom ketchup, lee and perins, tomato purée, red wine and some balsamic/sherry vinegar are the things I add for flavour. The rest is just normal stuff, mince, celery, carrot, onion, garlic

Vegetable stock, carrots, celery, onions, tinned tomatoes, mince, tomato puree.

Mines basic,

Beef mince
Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms
Chopped tomatoes
Passata
Parsley
Basil
Paprika.

The only herbs dh will eat🙄

Quorn mince
2 onions
Carrot and celery
Basil and oregano
Beef stock (not a veggie, dislike mince)
Garlic
And tinned tomatos

Then, right at the end. Half a tin of tomato soup and honestly, best ever 😍

I’m veggie so use lentils,
Courgette, grated carrots, mushroom, sweet corn and pepper

In keeping with the thread a nice pasta sauce that is red is

Lamb mince 400g
Diced chorizo 100g
Small red onion, finely diced
Small sweet white onion, finely diced
Lots of garlic
Tin of cherry toms
Half a tube tomato puree
Fair amount of tobasco
White button mushrooms, finely diced

Fry the chorizo until it's a bit crispy
Soften the garlic and onions
Brown the mince
Add tomatoes and tomato puree
Add tobasco
Add mushrooms
Add brown sugar/salt to taste

2 x oxo
Worcestershire sauce (big dollop)
Bovril (big tablespoon)
Loads of pepper
Tomato purée (1 x small can)
Tinned tomato (can)
Mushrooms
2 x onion

Christ basically spaghetti bolognese (which the ragu isn’t even technically served spaghetti pasta ) is a “Chuck whatever the fuck in the pot” student hell meal

Christ basically spaghetti bolognese (which the ragu isn’t even technically served spaghetti pasta ) is a “Chuck whatever the fuck in the pot” student hell meal

It certainly seems to be. I want to show this thread to every Italian I know. Just to witness the sheer horror.

Lentils
Baked beans
Green beans
Chopped pineapple
Wine vinegar
A tablespoon of mayo
Crab sticks
Basil
Oregano
Licorice bootlace (chopped)
Leftover fish fingers.