What's the secret ingredient that makes your spaghetti bolognese the best?

[franch]

I'm trying to 'perfect' a few basic dishes - it's always the personal touches that make these things great so please share yours

Feel free to post entire recipes if that makes more sense

heinz tomatoe ketchup

I normally put in enough to moisten the meat, so depends on how much meat you have, right at the beginning then simmer it until its cooked.
I do mine in the slow cooker so I don't bother browning it but I suppose you could brown it first then pour in the milk.

Start off with carrots celery and onions. Use 2:1 beef:pork mince. Makes all the fdifference to the texture. My grandpa, who was Sicilian used to put a square of dark chocolate into his - I usuall just use a teaspoon of sugar.

a big spoonful of bovril

Worcestershire sauce.

i like rosemary in mine

cook then leave for a few hours to mature!

masses of fresh basil

masses of fresh basil

Not that awful thin stuff you buy for 26p a packet.

Good spag bol deserves the thick pasta ribbons.

And easy on the tomato ... it overwhelms the dish.

dry and herby, with crushed vine tomatoes, and lots of optional cheese (mild) for the children.

Spag bol. DH makes RUBBISH spag bol. He's so good with other things but spag bol defeats him.

My spag bol starts with pancetta. A little tub in the pan. Add onions to the pancetta and cook in the bacon fat. Add fresh basil and celery. You don't need salt because the pancetta is salty enough. Simmer. Add the wine. It surprised me that the key is a dry white wine, but it does work better than red. Add the beef. Cook gently. It's magical how the wine helps to avoid the beef clumping. There is nothing worse than minced beef clumping. Add the tomatoes. Not too much, and definitely no puree. Cook through for a long time until the beef is really tender. Serve with lovely fresh pasta.

As per quatrro, though I do use pasatta rather than tomatoes, and rinse pasatta jar with water and add that as well, and then cook on quite a high heat to boil off the extra liquid. I also admit to the addition of fresh oregano (simply because I have it in the garden)

Milk should never ever be used in a meat sauce unless it is going into a creamy baked dish - so NO in spag bol, yes in lasagne

Red wine, bay leaf and cook it slowly for a long time and preferably the day before.

2 tins of whole toms
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 onions finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
50g back bacon chopped
1 red pepper finely chopped
4 cherry vine tomatoes cut in half
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 heaped teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon each of rosemary, oregano, basil and thyme
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
marigold swiss bouillon powder
some dry white wine
knob of butter
parmesan cheese

Sweat onion for 10 mins in olive oil. Pour in a good slug of wine to deglaze the pan. Add bacon and fry for a couple of mins. Add mince and fry until browned. Add stock and balsamic vinegar. Stir for a few mins. Add add tin of toms, vine toms, carrot, red pepper, herbs, brown sugar. Stir and simmer for 15 mins. Add garlic. Stir and simmer for at least another 15 mins. Break up tinned tomatoes. If you have time simmer for another 1.5 hours. Season with black pepper, add knob of butter and parmesan cheese.

Am going to try the marmalade. How much should I use and where abouts do I add it?

Have put chocolate in it before after someone recommended it on here.

Ooops wrong recipe. I have a new and improved one.

2 tins of whole toms
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 onions finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
50g smoked back bacon chopped
3 red peppers finely chopped
7-8 cherry vine tomatoes cut in half
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon each of rosemary, oregano, parsley, basil and thyme
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp of worcs sauce
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
marigold swiss bouillon powder
some dry white wine
knob of butter
parmesan cheese
extra mature cheddar

Sweat onion for 10 mins in olive oil. Add the honey during the last 2 minutes and cook over a high heat, stirring, until dark brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the carrots, courgettes, peppers, soy sauce and worcs sauce until golden. In a different pan pour in a good slug of wine to deglaze the pan. Add bacon and fry for a couple of mins. Add mince and fry until browned. Add stock and balsamic vinegar. Stir for a few mins. Add add tin of toms, vine toms, veg from the other pan, herbs, brown sugar. Stir and simmer for 15 mins. Add garlic. Stir and simmer for at least another 15 mins. Break up tinned tomatoes. If you have time simmer for another 2.5 hours. Season with black pepper, add knob of butter and cheese.

ha still didn't get it right!!!

100g of bacon

i also like to add 1/2 cup of milk spoon by spoon (apparently it is better to do it spoon by spoon although don't know why) and a pinch of nutmeg after i've added the tomatoes and veg.

must say i've not heard of cinnamon or butternut squash in it ...

or sweetcorn ...

No herbs other than a bay leaf + sugar + simmer slowly

mmmmm chicken livers and pancetta sound good but that's not bolognese anymore.

sprinkling of cinnamon when browning meat sounds very promising. Will try.

Courgettes, onions, yellow and green bell peppers, mushrooms, aubergines, gigantic slosh of red wine and tomato paste as well as canned tomatoes.

I prefer pork mince to beef mince, so I admit this is steering quite far away from a standard spag bol sauce.

onion, celery, carrot - all finely chopped
Bacon
Red wine
Long cooking time

BUT THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS.....Mrs Balls.

Secret ingredient = chocolate, just a couple of squares.

erm, dont do the cinnamon thing.

i feel like i've just eaten a bolognese muffin

lol

What have you been up to?

Wanna come round for playdate or is MIL here?