Bland spaghetti bolognese?!


Question: Bland spaghetti bolognese!?
hi just wondering if anyone can help!? i've just made my first bolognese sauce but it tasted very bland, i put in tomatos, garlic, red wine, water, onion and mushrooms!. Can anyone suggest something to give it a bit more flavour!?Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
Personally, I'd definately lose the water and possibly the mushrooms!. Drink the wine - that definately helps!. Everything else is OK, but it needs some herbs!. The secret of Italian cooking is to keep things simple!.

Try this recipe !.!.!.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Enough for spaghetti for 2

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves of garlic
2 onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil
500g of minced beef
400g tin of tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
2 teaspoons of basil, oregano or mixed herbs
Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces!. Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces!.

Put the oil into a frying pan on a medium heat!. Add the garlic and onion!. Fry the garlic and onion for about 2 minutes!. Stir frequently to stop it sticking!.

Put the meat into the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time!. By this time, it should have broken up and be an even colour, with no pink bits!.

Open the tin of tomatoes!. Pour the juice into the pan!. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the pan)!.

Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan!. Crumble the stock cube into the pan!. Add the herbs!. Season with the pepper!. Mix thoroughly!. Continue to cook, stirring as the mixture boils, until the sauce has reduced!.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use minced lamb, pork or turkey instead of minced beef!.

TIPS

Always “take the pasta to the sauce”!. Put the cooked pasta in the pan with the sauce and stir together until thoroughly coated!. The sauce does need to be fairly liquid to coat the sauce properly!.

PS!. Everyone has their culinary disasters, especially when cooking stuff for the first time!. Trust me, I know!Www@FoodAQ@Com

When you dry fry the minced beef try adding a tbsp of plain flour which will thicken the sauce once you have added the tomatoes!. You do not need to add any water to the ingredients!.

To your ingredients I would also add a couple of bay leaves (remove at the end of cooking time), a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a dash a good Balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp sugar, tomato puree, dried or fresh mixed herbs!. A small amount of smoked bacon lardons added with the beef also adds and interesting flavour!. Cooked very slowly for at least 1 1/2 or 2 hours to allow the flavours to develop!.

If you are making a vegetarian version use lots of chopped vegetables such as peppers, courgettes, carrots, different types of mushrooms instead of the beef and bacon!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Put in some crushed Italian seasoning and crushed dried red pepper flakes!. also, saute some chopped onions with your garlic and mushrooms in a combination of olive oil and butter before browning your beef in the same pan seasoning to taste with salt and pepper!. You can also try adding both sweet and hot Italian sausage to your sauce to spice it up - oh, and skip the water, it dilutes the taste of everything!.

SACWww@FoodAQ@Com

Where's the minced beef!?!. Toss the mince in cornflour mixed with Italian herbs and freshly ground pepper!. Sweat off finely chopped onions and garlic in olive oil, brown the mince and then add the other ingredients!. Use a dash of balsamic vinegar instead of red wine and if the mixture becomes too thick moisten with chicken stock (stock cube dissolved in hot water)!. Taste, add salt if necessary and simmer!. This is not an Italian receipt, but it works for me!. Not sure about the mushrooms, I would add diced carrots!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

You didn't list salt, which I'm hoping is a no-brainer!. Salt is a flavor enhancer, it's not just there to taste salty, it brightens up everything else!. also, if you only use onion in your soffrito it can sometimes leave your sauce a little flat!. Try a little carrot and celery!. If you cook the soffrito enough it'll become very soft and it will mush up and bulk up your sauce as well so it won't be so thin!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

For 4 people I use 2-3 cloves of garlic!.
One large onion or 2 smalll ones!.
One pound of beef mince or soya mince!.
One courgette chopped into small pieces or mushrooms or peppers!. Sometimes some chopped celery!.
3-4 tomatoes
Two dessert spoons of tomato puree!.
Oregano one tsp
Basil one tsp

Yes I add a dash of red wine
No I never add water!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

you've already got some good suggestions (Basil, Oregano, Thyme etc!.!.!.) Definitely no water in future, there is absolutely no need for water!. I haven't used them myself but Oxo do an Italian style stock cube which might be ok if you don't keep herbs yourself!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I'm with ALANA M!.!.!. Plus try adding a fair bit of tomato puree,this will help thicken it up!. I would skip adding water too!.Remember you get a lot of moisture from mushrooms etc!.
Just don't use too much liquid and let it simmer down to 'reduce' the sauce!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

No less than 4 cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of tomato paste, oregano and a good glug of white wine, and don't forget to season well, salt and black pepper help to bring the flavours out!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Tabasco, you can actually get bolognaise spices that do the work for you!. They are in Tesco, or Sainsbury etc and don't cost much!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

you need oregano and basil to enhance the tomato sauce!.balance it with a little sugar!.

good luck!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Grab mug and mix some bisto granules with hot water then add to sauce !.!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

basil, oregano and crushed rosemary - to taste
oh ground pepper too!Www@FoodAQ@Com

Hot pepper sauce i always put it in, not to much thoughWww@FoodAQ@Com

Oregano is the best for this dish!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

tobasco
leave out the red wineWww@FoodAQ@Com

hi try and add a dash of worcester sauceWww@FoodAQ@Com





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