Homemade Bolognese
This recipe is a super easy week night meal that every one will love. It's flavoursome, has plenty of vegetables (although you can always add more) and fills you up!
Ingredients:
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 red capsicum, chopped
2 slices of bacon, diced
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
olive oil
500g pork mince
500g beef mince
1 1/2 cup of red wine
2 tins of crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 stalk of rosemary
worcestershire sauce
aged balsamic vinegar
hot sauce e.g. cholula
Recipe:
Put the onion, garlic, carrot and celery in a food processor so that the vegetables are very finely diced.
Saute this vegetable mixture in some olive oil until soft then put aside in a separate bowl.
Put the capsicum in the food processor and pulse, ensuring it doesn't become complete mush. Drain any residing juices through a fine sieve. Then saute the bacon and once it starts to brown, add in the capsicum. Cook until the capsicum starts softening. Next, add back in the vegetable mixture and pour in 1 cup of the red wine. We choose Tscharke's Bed Hair, 2015 Graciano when at home, which really amplifies the flavours of the bolognese. Leave to reduce and keep an eye on it. Once there is only a little wine left, add in the tomato paste and stir.
Then add the pork and beef mince ensuring that the mince is broken down properly. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of wine, tinned tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and stir. Then add a splash of worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and hot sauce.
Stir and raise the heat until the bolognese is bubbling. Then reduce and let it simmer for as long as possible. The longer the better but if you don't have time, it is good to serve after around 15 minutes.