Spag Bol, why does mine taste so bland??

[imwithspud]

For some reason lately when ever I've made spaghetti bolognese it's turned out really bland and quite tasteless. It used to be one of our favourite meals as a family, not sure what happened. Just wondering if anyone has any tips to jazz it up a little as I'm making it again tonight and DP has moaned but I really want to work to improve it.

Here is the recipe I currently use, off the top of my head so apologies if I miss anything:
500g Lean Minced Beef
1 Carton Passata
1/2tbsp Tomato Puree
About 150ml Beef Stock (recent addition in an effort to try and add some flavour)
1 Onion
1 Leek
1/2 Grated Carrots
4 crushed Garlic cloves
Lots of mixed herbs
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of sugar
Pepper

I too think the stock will be watering down the taste, don't add the water bit.

Well if the latest Sainsbury's ads are anything to go by, it'll be down to not adding instant coffee!

I use a bit of stock powder instead of a cube - that Swiss bouillon stuff.

I also put in basil or oregano, worcester sauce (quite a lot), red wine, a teaspoon of sugar. I always use shallots or small red onions as they're sweeter.

Also agree with it getting a long cooking time - though that's not always easy.

If my DP moaned however, he'd be doing it himself!

You could add umami flavours with some Worcestershire sauce.

I like to blend some roasted red peppers (Aleyna brand from a jar in olive oil) and add to the mince with the passata (another way to add veg and sweetness)

Celery salt is good for pepping things up

Add in a couple of bay leaves, they add a really nice taste to it

Serving with grated cheese adds to the salty scrumptiousness!

You can now buy umami paste.

I do the same as you and the only difference is that I use ketchup and tinned tomatoes (instead of passata and puree) and chicken bisto granules (instead of beef stock) and no leek. I do a big dollop of ketchup and it tastes really good! (well I think so anyway!)

1/2 a glass of red wine added just after browning the mince and left to simmer down for a good long while will really improve the flavour. I also add in 2 or cloves, a couple of bay leaves and plenty of basil and oregano too. I also use a dash of Worcester sauce and a couple of crumbled stock cubes.????I use a lot more tomato purée than you or some sundried tomato paste and 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and/or whatever fresh toms I can find lurking in the fridge.

Also, do chopped mushrooms!

Cook it low and slow. Red wine, bit of salt and pepper. Definitely don't add water to the stock. You already have liquid in the form of passata. Just crumble it in as pp have said. It should be thick and yummy. A nice bit of cheese over the top. I also add whatever Veg is left in the fridge. So courgettes, aubergine, carrots, mushroom, anything at all. The longer you cook it the more intense the flavours are. I want bolognese now!

Add some red wine, and you definitely need stock - either an Oxo cube crumbled directly in to the mix or one of those Knorr Stockpots melted in.

A good slug of red wine works well for me.

I do use lean mince, and I usually dry fry too...using extra virgin olive oil to fry gives a nice flavour

Actually, all I do is:

Fry mince
When browned, add onions and chopped garlic (I use jar stuff)
When softened, add sliced mushrooms
When softened, add about a glass of red wine for 4 servings
Cook it off for a couple of minutes to reduce the alcohol content (you can't get rid of all of it, so I would omit wine for babies)
Add passata, plenty of freshly ground black pepper, 2tsp each of dried oregano, basil and thyme
Stir and bring to the boil
Simmer for 20 minutes
Eat

I add a bit of chopped up smoked bacon to mine which adds a bit of salty depth to the flavour, and cook for as long possible. I also think it tastes better if its made the day before you need it and reheated, same for chilli too.

Going against other advice I don't add salt, but I do have bacon and a good glass of red wine, which yes,I do feed to the kids. I cook for at least an hour in the oven, usually 1.5. IMO it's the cooking time that makes the difference and makes it thick and rich in flavour. I generally follow jamie oliver recipe but looking at other chefs they also seem to cook a long time.

Aloha I did use to feed it to baby DS too, until DH showed me the research into how much alcohol was left in and I felt terribly guilty.

DS doesn't really like anything in a sauce or onions these days, so it's a non-issue!

I follow the Jo Pratt recipe on the BBC web site except I use normal mushrooms not marinated ones, ketchup instead of sundried tomatoes, no wine unless I happen to have any open and hardly ever fresh basil. It is yum.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/spaghettibolognese_67868

But if you put in a small wine glass of wine, and cook the sauce for a long time, there must be virtually no wine left in the sauce. As there wasn't much, as a proportion, when it went in.

Make it with slow cooked brisket, pancetta and chicken livers.

Marmite - I add it to lots of things, works well with Cottage Pie too.

Cream?

Worcester sauce.