AIBU to ask what goes in your bolognese?

[MishMashMummy]

I feel like every bolognese recipe is totally personal to the individual who makes it - so tell me what’s in yours!

Mine is a bastardised veggie version. The base is caramelised onions, celery and garlic. The ‘mince’ is puy lentils and finely chopped mushrooms. Then the sauce has the following:

Tinned tomatoes
Tomato purée
Ketchup
Red wine
Liquid smoke
Salt
Pepper
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Fresh basil

I’m aware this would make genuine Italian nonnas spin in their graves

Soffrito (usually onion, red pepper, carrot and celery), half and half minced beef and pork, red wine, tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, tomato puree and a good beef stock. And some sun dried tomatoes if I've got them. Then bubble away for a good hour.

Mid week in a hurry need to feed the kids

Mince
Dolomio

Want to spend some time:

Soffrito
Pancetta
Mix of beef and pork or beef and rose veal
Tinned plum tomatoes
Garlic
Basil stalks
Bottle of red
Small amount of milk
If I've got one a Parmesan rind gets chucked in

Guess which one the kids like best?

Massive glug of oil (lots more than you'd expect)
Lots of soffritto, (1 whole stick celery, half an onion, 2 medium carrots) No garlic
Fry off that.
Add mince (beef and pork mix) really break it up (I use bottom of a balloon whisk)
Add red wine
Add whole jar of passata
Add lots of salt and pepper
Let it simmer for about 90 minutes.
Add a couple of basil leaves towards the end.
If the tomato is very acidy, add more salt.

Forgot to add salt, pepper, and sugar if needed but I guess that's a given!

Mince
Mushrooms
Dolmio

Only joking! Well, sometimes I do do that but I do also cook more properly sometimes so...

Diced onion
Finely chopped carrot and celery
Occasionally a little bit of streaky bacon cut up very finely and cooked with the onion, celery and carrot for flavour.
A clove of garlic, crushed or a little bit of lazy garlic
A little olive oil.
Beef mince.
Extra veg like peppers, courgette or mushrooms if I feel like it/they need using up
Chopped tomatoes, about 1/2 tin
Passata, whole carton usually
A little bit of tomato purée if needed
1/2 a beef stock cube or tsp or two of marmite
Worcestershire sauce

Forgot the herbs. Usually basil, some dried Italian herbs or some kind, a little salt, black pepper and maybe some sugar if needed

A fork.

Posh one: olive oil, mince, chicken livers, onion, grated carrot, diced celery, tinned tomato, tomato purée garlic, fresh basil, bay leaf, white wine & hours to simmer

Everyday one: is effectively stir fry of mince, onion, garlic, ham, tinned tomato, tomato purée, oregano and hidden veg (usually peppers, or peas)

50/50 pork mince/beef mince
Cubed pancetta (smoked)
Onion
Beef stock
Marsala
Tinned toms
Tomato purée
Sugar
Oregano
Basil
Seasoning
Garlic

I trot it out for lasagne too and lose the oregano and add chilli and kidney beans for chilli con carne...

I think a spoon of red pesto and a heavy splash of milk and a pinch of sugar helps it all relax and come together (along with the toms, onions, garlic herbs salt etc) and letting it simmer 4 ages.

@newnortherner111

A fork.

Onions
Minced beef
Garlic or garlic powder
Celery
Red pepper
2 tins of tomatoes
Lee and perins
Pinch of chilli flakes
Italian herbs
Beef and veg stock

Tin tomatoes, beef knor cube, bacon, soy sauce, garlic puree and Italian herbs.

Oh and beef mince!

Makes 6 -8 portions.

700 grams of nice minced beef from the butchers
2 large onions
3 medium carrots
Plentiful garlic
Pack of smoked streaky bacon
2 tins of tomatoes
1 tub of passata
Italian dried herbs
Lots of black pepper
Teaspoon of sugar
Worcestershire sauce..

@BraveBananaBadge Thank you so much for introducing me to Nat's What I Reckon!

OP I don't think you can call it bolognese if it contains no meat and has lentils in it

Pork mince
Beef mince
Bacon pancetta
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Chopped tomatoes
Chicken/beef stock
Red wine
Dash of milk

Finely chopped onions, carrot & celery
Minced beef
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Some wine if there’s some spare
Crushed tomato tin
Half a tsp sugar
Bay leaf
Salt & pepper

I am lazy

Frozen soffrito
Frozen onion
Frozen garlic
Mushrooms (maybe frozen too!)
Peeled and chopped courgettes (if I have any to sneak more veg into the children)
Chopped peppers (if I have any, see courgettes!)
Beef Mince
Tomato purée
Tinned tomatoes
Beef stock pot
Teaspoon of sugar
Oregano
Black pepper

Usually in the pressure cooker.

Oh and at least 2 hours on the hob to simmer/reduce.

Just finished my bolognaise it was soo good. I start with onion, carrots and peppers in beef stock to sweat, then add the mince (the 5% stuff) then add passata, tomato puree 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, garlic, mixed herbs, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and mushrooms. Bring to the boil then leave to simmer for ages.
Beautiful!!! 😍😍😍

My kids loathe bolognese so I never bother anymore but when I did it would be

Onion
Garlic
Celery
Minced beef
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Tinned tomatoes
Puree
Basil
Seasoning

Diced carrot
Onion
Peppers
Mince
Chopped tomatoes

I switched my past recipe to the previously linked Nats What I Reckon recipe with the milk, it’s absolutely the best and I feel pretty authentically Italian. I actually watched some Italian chefs critiquing the video and they were impressed too - good enough for me! 😂 (although I do add garlic)

Recipe from my Italian au pair from Bari:

Garlic, onions, thickly sliced carrots, beef mince, green peppers and mushrooms. Seasoning and Tom purée and a tin of tomatoes. Yum.