This Genius Topping Will Take Your Spaghetti to the Next Level
The classic spaghetti bolognese is a part of most people’s repertoire. One of the first “proper” meals you learn to cook, this dish is armed with a jar of sauce and lots of garlic bread. Oh, the praise and satisfaction of serving up a genuine grown-up meal! It’s a definite marker for adulthood.
As useful as those jars are, it’s actually super simple to cook a spag bol from scratch, and the good thing is, you can modify it to create a different meal each time. Add a splash of cream at the end for a rich spaghetti bolognese, try adding chorizo and a little chipotle paste for a Mexican feel or make our spicy version with fresh and dried chiles, topped off with crispy garlic bread crumbs and extra chiles (we’re actual adults now, after all!).
Ingredients:
Serves 6
– 1 Tablespoon olive oil
– 1 onion
– 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
– 1 pound ground beef
– 1 Tablespoon tomato puree
– 1 teaspoon caster sugar
– 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
– 1 teaspoon chili flakes
– 1 stock cube
– 1 red bell pepper
– 2 red chiles
– ½ cup red wine
– 28 ounces chopped canned tomatoes
– 1 garlic baguette
– 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
– cooked spaghetti to serve (approximately 16 ounces spaghetti for six people)
Instructions:
1. Chop up the onion and red pepper into chunks, then finely chop the red chiles.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook on low to medium heat for 8-10 minutes (until the onion is soft and beginning to brown). Add in the garlic and ground beef, then fry — stirring regularly to break up the beef — until the beef is mostly cooked through.
3. Add the tomato puree, caster sugar, oregano and chili flakes and give everything a stir.
4. Crumble the stock cube, then stir in along with the chopped red pepper and half of the chopped red chiles. Add in the red wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then add in the canned tomatoes.
5. Bring to a gentle boil and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes (now is a good time to put the spaghetti on to cook).
6. While the sauce is simmering, tear apart the garlic bread and place in a food processor. Pulse until the bread breaks into crumbs.
7. Heat a medium-sized skillet (no need for oil) and add the garlic bread crumbs. Heat on a medium to high heat, moving the pan around until the crumbs are golden brown (be careful — they can burn quite quickly). Once browned, stir in the remaining chopped chiles and the chopped parsley, then place into a small bowl.
8. Drain the spaghetti and split between six bowls. Top with the bolognese sauce and sprinkle on the garlic crumbs. Serve with extra garlic crumbs.
Chop the onion and red pepper into chunks, then finely chop the red chiles.
Now heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook on low to medium heat for 8-10 minutes (until the onion is soft and beginning to brown). Add in the garlic and ground beef, then fry — stirring regularly to break up the beef — until the beef is mostly cooked through.
Add the tomato puree, caster sugar, oregano and chili flakes and give everything a stir. Crumble the stock cube, then stir that in along with the chopped red pepper and half of the chopped red chiles. Pour the red wine in the sauce and simmer for three to four minutes, then add the canned tomatoes. Bring to a gentle bubble and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes (now is a good time to put the spaghetti on to cook).
While the sauce is simmering, tear apart the garlic bread and place in a food processor. Pulse until the bread breaks into crumbs. Heat a medium-sized skillet (no need for oil) and add the garlic bread crumbs. Heat on medium to high heat, moving the pan around until the crumbs are golden brown (be careful — they can burn quite quickly). Once browned, stir in the remaining chopped chiles and chopped parsley, then place into a small bowl.
Drain the spaghetti and split between six bowls. Top with the bolognese sauce and sprinkle on the garlic crumbs. Serve with extra garlic crumbs :)
What’s the most-cooked dish in your repertoire?
