Pork, beef & lamb· GF · DF

Classic Bolognese

Name: Classic Bolognese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 55 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250g beef mince 20% fat; 250g lean pork mince 5% fat; 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes; 130g onion; 100g carrot; 80g (2 sticks) celery; 12g garlic; 100ml red wine; 30g tomato purée; 30g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped; 10ml tamari or soy sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 1 sprig (or 1 tsp dried) rosemary; 2 leaves bay; to taste black pepper; 8ml rapeseed oil

Beef and pork mince simmered in a red wine and sun-dried tomato sauce with rosemary and bay.

makes 18 blocks, about 30p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/classic-bolognese/

Illustration of a bowl of Classic Bolognese

Time: 2 hr 5 min10 min prep · 1 hr 55 min cook
Makes: 18 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 30p
Calories per blockCalories: 78 kcal
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

250gbeef mince 20% fat
250glean pork mince 5% fat
2 × 400g tinschopped tomatoes
130gonion
100gcarrot
80g (2 sticks)celery
12ggarlic
100mlred wine
30gtomato purée
30gsun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
10mltamari or soy sauce
1 tspsugar
1 sprig (or 1 tsp dried)rosemary
2 leavesbay
to tasteblack pepper
8mlrapeseed oil

Allergens: Celery, Soya, Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Spaghetti or tagliatelle with parmesan · Layered into lasagne or topped with mash as a quick cottage pie · Courgetti or a jacket potato

Method

Step 1: Brown both minces in the oil over a high heat for 8–10 minutes. Spoon off excess fat if you like.
Step 2: Lower the heat. Add the finely diced onion, carrot and celery and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and purée for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Pour in the wine and bubble for 2–3 minutes until mostly evaporated.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, sugar, rosemary and bay.
Step 5: Simmer very gently, partly covered, for 1–1½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if it catches. Reduce to about 1.25kg.
Step 6: Remove the bay and rosemary stalk. Season, cool and freeze in blocks of about 67–70g.

Hotter: fry ½ tsp chilli flakes with the garlic, or stir in 30g 'nduja.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	78	6.1g	3.7g	4g	0.9g	0.17g
Per 3 blocks	234	18.3g	11.1g	12g	2.7g	0.51g

Cook’s notes

No wine? Use 100ml beef stock plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar.
Don't rush the long, gentle simmer; that is where the depth comes from. Or oven at 150°C, lid on, for 2 hours.
All-beef (500g of 20% mince) costs about the same and comes out at about 85 kcal a block.

Serve it

Spaghetti or tagliatelle with parmesan · Layered into lasagne or topped with mash as a quick cottage pie · Courgetti or a jacket potato.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 234 kcal and 18.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Classic Bolognese questions

Why is there soy sauce in a bolognese?

A small splash adds savoury depth without tasting of soy. Leave it out if you prefer and season with a little more salt at the end.

Can I leave out the sun-dried tomatoes?

They add a concentrated, sweet tomato flavour, but the sauce still works without them. Add an extra spoonful of tomato purée with the garlic to make up some of the depth.

How thick should it be before freezing?

A spoon dragged across the base of the pan should leave a clear trail, with very little loose liquid. Weighing the pan against the 1.25kg target in the method is the surest check.