Exciting news! We have another guest blog. My friend, Tanya Bartolini, from The Everyday Cook Network, decided to contribute to Adelaidefoodies.com as an guest blogger on occasional bases. Through her contributions, we aim to share with people some of Tanya’s top secret in cooking Italian cuisines and hopefully we can inspire more people to cook at home and to cook international cuisines using our fantastic South Australian produces. All contributions through Tanya will be categorized under “Tanya Bartolini” in the Recipe section.

 

 Copyright protect images by Tanya Bartolini

 

 

The Everyday Cook Network is a site run by a passionate Everyday Cook for the Everyday Cook. It is a community, a place for people to be inspired and to help inspire others by sharing food tips, tricks and recipes.

Tanya Bartolini, the author of the forthcoming book “Blending the Cultures” has always had a strong passion for food and family and what they represent when combined. However after spending 14 years working in the finance industry  and becoming a mother she understands all too well the challenges that Everyday Cooks face from day to day in deciding what to cook for their family with the limited time they have.

“Blending the Cultures” is a family story and cookbook that captures not only her grandparents and fathers immigration story from Italy but also depicts how their families cultures, traditions and food has evolved over many years to represent a strong blend of cultures. I am looking forward to seeing Tanya’s new cookbook coming out soon!

The recipe Tanya is sharing today is a simple, delicious and heart warming common Italian dish, Spaghetti Bolognese. However, there are tips and tricks that she wants to show, so keep reading. 😀

Spaghetti Bolognese

by Tanya Bartolini

(serves at least 12 or enough sauce for 500g of dried pasta)

 

This is one of my family favourites, and brings back many fond childhood memories for me. It is best to allow this to cook for at least an hour and a half but if you only have half an hour that will also be sufficient. The longer you let it cook the more the flavours are enhanced. This can be often made up by a big batch and can be frozen down.

 

Trust me once you make this dish you will never use bottled pasta sauce again. This is full of vegetables so it is nutritious and it is super tasty. Like I said this is a family favourite and is a useful meal when my son is having a difficult eating day.

 

The trick to this sauce is using a potato masher right at the end to help break up the meat. I know this may sound crazy but it really does enable you to break the meat down into very fine pieces and gives you a glorious sauce that coats your pasta whatever type beautifully.

 

Ingredients

– 500g of veal mince

– 500g of pork mince

– 1 small onion

– 1 carrot

– 1 celery stick

– 2 bay leaves

– 1 sprig of rosemary

– 1/2 cup of white wine

– 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

– 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes

– 750ml of tomato passata (I prefer to use cherry tomato passata but if you cannot find it standard tomato passata works beautifully)

– 1 tsp of salt

– 1 vegetable stock cube

– whatever pasta you desire, spaghetti, farfale, ravioli etc.

 

Lets start cooking

1. In a food processor blitz, onion, carrot and celery (do not peel the carrot)

2. Transfer the ingredients from the food processor to a large pot with the olive oil

3. Fry the ingredients  on medium heat in the pot until tender

4. Add the white wine and stir through the vegetables

5. Place both minces into the pot with the vegetables and allow to cook until brown, stir to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot

6. Once the meat has browned add the tinned tomatoes and tomato passata, bay leaves, rosemary, stock cube, and salt

7. Stir all of the ingredients together until well combined.

8. Turn the heat to low or a simmer, cover the pot with a lid and allow to cook for 1 1/2 hours

9. Once the sauce has completed it’s cooking time, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, then using a potato masher, mash the sauce just like you would if you were making mashed potatoes.  Do this until you have a fine mince and removed most of the lumps.

10. Serve this sauce with the pasta of your choice, cook pasta according to packet directions.

 

Important – serve with grated parmesan cheese. A must.

 

 

I hope you and your family enjoy this pasta sauce as much as my family does. Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce was a staple in our house when I was a child and was something that was eaten at least once (on a monday night) if not twice a week.

 

Tanya