Jen's Bolognese
Updated: Oct 2
A rich, hearty sauce made with simple ingredients
Recipe Creator: Jennifer Walsh
There are some recipes you follow, and others that simply become part of the way you cook, this is my Bolognese.
It has evolved over the years through family cooking, little things I’ve learned along the way, and plenty of evenings standing over a pot thinking, what's missing?.
I start with plenty of vegetables, beef mince, tomatoes, lentils and a generous collection of herbs, then give the sauce something I think makes all the difference: time. Rather than rushing a Bolognese, I let mine simmer gently for three to four hours. That long, slow cooking gives everything a chance to soften, deepen and come together into a rich, hearty sauce.
One of my more recent additions has been a parmesan rind. I first saw an Italian woman adding the leftover rind from her parmesan to a slowly simmering sauce, and decided to try it myself, and I haven't looked back. It is such a simple example of old-fashioned, resourceful cooking, using something that might otherwise be thrown away, to add another layer of flavour.
My mum would sometimes add pork mince to her Bolognese, and when I can find a really good-quality pork mince, I still like to add some. Most of the time though, I make mine entirely with beef, which is the version I've shared here.
I add lentils, carrot, celery and zucchini to my Bolognese, a little addition that has simply become part of the way I make it. After hours of slow cooking, the vegetables soften into the sauce, the flavours deepen, and everything comes together beautifully.
More ways to enjoy this Bolognese:
Lasagne with Mornay Sauce — the obvious first one. Recipe: Mornay Sauce
Spaghetti Bolognese — simple and classic.
Bolognese Pasta Bake — pasta, Bolognese, cheese, then baked until bubbling.
Stuffed Capsicums — fill with Bolognese and rice, top with cheese and bake.
Bolognese Arancini — use a thicker leftover Bolognese through the filling.
Bolognese Stuffed Potatoes — baked potatoes filled with sauce and Parmesan.
Bolognese Gnocchi Bake — gnocchi, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bolognese Cottage Pie — use the sauce beneath creamy mashed potato.
Bolognese Cannelloni — fill the tubes with your sauce and finish with Mornay.
Freezer-Friendly Bolognese Pasta Bake — particularly good for your Freezer-Friendly Friday meal planners.
Whether you use this recipe for a simple bowl of pasta, layer it into a lasagne with creamy Mornay sauce, or tuck a batch away in your freezer for "Freezer Friday", I hope this Bolognese becomes one of those recipes you return to again and again.
If you make my Bolognese, I’d love to hear all about it.
Please do leave a comment below...
Happy cooking,
L-ikla t-tajba!
(Maltese for, enjoy your meal)
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