5-a-day Bolognese

Name: 5-a-day Bolognese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 150g beef mince; 2 onions finely chopped; 2 leeks finely sliced; 1-2 garlic cloves crushed; 1 red pepper chopped into small pieces; 1 large courgette chopped into small pieces; 1 can chopped tomatoes; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 50ml chicken or beef stock; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 150g spaghetti; 25g parmesan finely grated; a few basil leaves (optional)

4.40 (32)

⏱ 80 mins 🍽 Serves 2 🌶 italian ✅ More effort 🏷 Main course

This recipe cleverly incorporates five different vegetables into a classic spaghetti Bolognese sauce, making it a nutritious and complete meal. It's an ideal way to boost your family's vegetable intake, especially for children, as the veg is finely chopped and hidden within the rich, meaty sauce. The dish simmers for 35 minutes to develop deep flavour, and any leftovers can be conveniently frozen for a future quick dinner. It serves 2 people and takes about 80 minutes to prepare and cook from start to finish.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
150g beef mince
2 onions finely chopped
2 leeks finely sliced
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
1 red pepper chopped into small pieces
1 large courgette chopped into small pieces
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
50ml chicken or beef stock
1/2 tsp dried oregano
150g spaghetti
25g parmesan finely grated
a few basil leaves (optional)

Method

Heat ½ tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the beef mince and fry until it is well browned. Remove the meat to a dish. Place the pan back on the heat with the rest of the oil. Reduce the heat and cook the finely chopped onions and sliced leeks for 8-10 mins until very soft. Stir in the crushed garlic, chopped red pepper and chopped courgette. Fry until the vegetables begin to char at the edges and any released liquid has evaporated.
Return the browned meat to the pan. Add the can of chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, 50ml stock and ½ tsp dried oregano. Stir to combine, cover the pan and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 35 mins. While the sauce cooks, prepare the 150g spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Near the end of the cooking time, stir half the finely grated parmesan into the Bolognese sauce. If the sauce appears too thick, add a spoonful of the pasta cooking water to loosen it, then drain the spaghetti. Add the drained pasta to the sauce, toss everything together to coat and season well. Serve garnished with the remaining parmesan and optional basil leaves.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories722 kcal

Fat27 g

Saturates9 g

Carbs76 g

Sugars26 g

Fibre15 g

Protein37 g

Sodium200 mg

Recipe details

Skill levelMore effort

CategoryMain course

Cuisineitalian