I need to make a bolognese sauce but have no tomatos

[TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench]

It wouldn't be beyond my powers to go out and buy some I suppose, but I do have passata - will that do?

Got all the other usual gubbins - onions, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, red wine. A lot of recipes seem to call for streaky bacon.. is that a good idea?

Advice from bolognese officianados would be most welcome

Thank you

I use a tin of tomatoes anyway, so passata would be fine IMO.

I don't put bacon in mine but when I have done, it is very tasty.

We (DH and DS - hence the royal "we") always use passatta too

Oh goody, that's saved me a trip out then

Any other top tips?

Actually, aren't you meant to put celery in it?

Passata will be fine. I normally use it in my meatball stew, but should be fine in bolognese.
I usually get some tomatoes from the allotments and make a tomato sauce and freeze it in 400ml batches so when I come to use it, I defrost it, fry up onions and garlic, add the tomato sauce, peas, sweetcorn, sometimes mushrooms, maybe a bell-pepper if I have one and a couple of cubes of chopped and frozen spinach.

You can put whatever you like in it! Celery will give it a nice flavour.

I really play with my bolognese sauces. My basic-very-good-for-children-recipe is onion, garlic, mince, tin of tomatoes, tin of baked beans, tin of sweetcorn, tomato ketchup, mixed herbs and a splash of worcester sauce.

Then I play with it - swap the beans for chickpeas or lentils. Put celery in if I have some. Put red peppers in. Leave out the garlic and/or the sweetcorn. Don't have any beans at all.

It really isn't that prescriptive - make it how you like

We always use passata. Gives a better consistency when you haven't time to cook your tomatoes for hours.

Do you have tomato paste? This is more authentic anyway. I use an Angela Hartnett recipe where the only tomato ingredient is the paste. Here:

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/21/spaghetti-bolognaise-recipe-angela-hartnett

Instead of the chuck steak and veal, I usually only use some normal (good quality) mince and some bacon and simmer for only 2 hours - this is fine. Don't bother with the paper either - just use a deep lidded frying pan

passata is much nicer IMO - smoother, richer sauce.

I like a big spoonful of pesto in mine if I don't have fresh basil to add at the end - also if you have the rind of a piece of parmesan then chuck that in, gives a rich savoury flavour.

Bacon is great. I do the bbc food recipe and it's delicious. Bacon makes all the difference.

I never use tomatoes and I make the best spag bol.

Onion, carrot, celery, garlic. Then chopped streaky bacon, brown mince, small squirt tomato puree, 2 glasses red wine, 100ml chicken stock and black pepper and simmer for 1 and a half hours. Add mushrooms halfway through if you like them and a knob of butter at the end.

Right, thanks guys. Bacon it is. And celery I think.

The Angela Harnett recipe looks fab. That's just the kind of thing I'm after - nice rich, gutsy, authentic ragu like mama used to make.