Bolognese is one of the most popular pasta sauce, it might seem to cost a lot of effort and time, so we often buy packaged bolognese sauce or takeaway. But swapping some ingredients and using some unexpected products can help reduce the amount of time, ingredients and cost as well as increase nutritional value. Here are some of the changes we made and the reason why:

1. Using extra lean beef mince 

1. Using beef mince reduces the time of cooking compared to traditional Bologna’s recipe using ragu cuts

2. Use an extra lean beef mince instead of regular beef mince to reduce the saturated fat profile by 80%. And we can always add more plant-based fat in — gives flexibility to control.

3. Extra-lean beef can be dry cooking for a long time, so we sear the beef in small pieces first to add a protective layer on the outside of each piece as well as add depth of flavour.

2. Swap half of the beef with lentil

1. Lentil has a similar texture as mince after cooking for a long time, the slight mushiness gives smoothness to the final bolognese sauce

2. Lentil is a good vegetarian source of protein, iron, fibre and potassium, which makes it an excellent substitute to beef mince.

3. Use a variety of vegetables: onion, carrot, celery and tomato

1. Stewing, braising and slow cooking is a perfect dish to add in different vegetables. Not only do they contribute to the flavour, texture, volume, colour and nutritional value, it also absorbs a lot of flavours, making them more acceptable to non-veggie lovers.

4. Using Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and oregano

1. Worcestershire sauce is a fermented sauce with a sweet, acidic and savoury taste. The fermentation gives a special aroma, which might be overwhelming on its own. But it can provide depth of flavour which is from red wine in the recipe traditionally.

2. Herbs and spices are great seasonings for any dish, they are packed with flavours and aromas, and are rich in antioxidants. And They are staples in creating certain flavour profiles.

Recipe

Serve 4-8 people

Time: 60 minutes

Skill required: chopping, frying, keeping an eye on the stove

Equipment: 1x large pot, spoons and mixing spoons, knife and chopping board.

Ingredient list: 

• 500g (extra) lean beef mince 

• Up to 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 brown onion (diced)

• 1 carrot (diced/shredded)

• 3-4 celery sticks (diced)

• 4 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 cans of tomato

• 1 can of lentil

• 1tbsp stock powder (reduced salt)

• 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1-2 bay leaves (optional)

• 1tsp oregano (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Methods: 

1. On medium heat, heat up ~1tbsp oil in a pot for 30 seconds. Add beef mince to the pot bit by bit. Stir occasionally until all sides are brown. Set aside the beef and drain out any oil and moisture in the pot.

2. On high heat, add onion, carrot and celery to the same pot, and occasionally stir until all soften and there is no moisture in the pot (takes about 3-5 minutes)

3. Mix in tomato paste, then add canned tomato, fried beef mince, remaining ingredients and enough water to cover. After boiling, turn to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on.

4. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and fish out the bay leaves. Reduce the sauce to a consistency of your liking on medium heat. Then taste before seasoning with salt and pepper.

 Dietitian’s tip

• Adjust the ratio between beef and lentil to achieve different nutritional goals.

• Use meat alternatives for a vegetarian diet and skip step one.

• Save time by coarsely grating onion, carrot and celery stick with a grater or food processor.

• Add herbs and spices for flavour depth: oregano, basil, mixed herbs, paprika, chilli flakes, etc.

• Make in bulk, let it cool, portion the sauce into bags and store in the freezer for up to a month. To use, break a portion and reheat in a saucepan or microwave.

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Here are two ways to use this easy bolognese sauce — Lasagne for a gathering dish and a quick pasta for everyday dinner.

Lasagne

Serve 4-6 people

Time: 45 minutes + (60 minutes of sauce preparation)

Skill required: mixing, spreading, baking

Equipment: 1 large mixing bowl, 1 baking dish, oven.

Ingredient list: 

• Bolognese sauce from last recipe

• 250g light ricotta/cottage cheese

• 250g lasagne sheet (might have leftover)

• 60g grated parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper

Methods: 

1. Let bolognese sauce cool down if lasagne is not baked right after assembling. In a large mixing bowl/original pot, mix ricotta/cottage cheese and bolognese sauce until incorporated. Season if needed.

2. To assemble: spread 1 thin layer of sauce mixture at the bottom of the baking dish. Layer out enough lasagne sheet to cover, followed by a layer of sauce mixture and repeat until the sauce runs out. Make sure the top layer is the sauce mixture.

3. Sprinkle cheese evenly on top and season with ground pepper

4. (optional) Cover with cling film and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. 

5. Pre-heat oven at 200℃/400℉ for 10 minutes,. Then bake the lasagne for 30 minutes. And (optional) turn up to 220℃/430℉ for 5 minutes to crisp up the top.

Quick bolognese pasta

Serve 1 person

Time: 15 minutes

Skill required: reheating, boiling pasta

Equipment: 1 serving bowl, 1 saucepan, stove top

Ingredient list: 

• 1 part of bolognese sauce - choose your own portion

• 80-120g pasta

• 20g grated cheese (optional)

• 50g (frozen) baby spinach (optional) 

Methods: 

1. Cook the pasta as per package instruction.

2. Leave a small amount of water in the saucepan, add in bolognese sauce (you can cook from frozen) and baby spinach, and continue to cook on medium heat.

3. After the sauce mixture is evenly heated up, reduce it to the consistency you like and stir in the pasta.

4. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle the cheese on top, and enjoy!

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