Health, Diet and Nutrition

Spaghetti Bolognese is a hearty dish that originated in northern Italian city of Bologna. It is a meat sauce enhanced by onions, carrots, garlic and tomatoes. Originally, chopped beef or pancetta was used as the base, but modern versions often use minced beef. The addition of Heinz tomato ketchup further enhances the flavor of Spaghetti Bolognese. Include it to add zest to an old recipe.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add 1 small peeled and chopped carrot and one medium peeled and chopped onion. Saute until tender, then add two cloves of peeled and crushed garlic. Saute for about one minute and remove the mixture from the pan. Set aside until later.

Add 400 g minced beef to the pan and cook until brown. Drain of any excess grease and add the carrot and onion mixture back to the pan.

Pour in 150 ml red wine and heat until the liquid reduces by half. Add 100 ml of Heinz tomato ketchup, crumble two beef stock cubes over top and add two cans (800 g) of chopped tomatoes.

Add one bay leaf, 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp dried oregano. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer partially covered with a lid. Simmer 35 to 45 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally so the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Boil about 350 g of thick spaghetti like linguini or egg noodles. The sauce is very heavy and falls off thin noodles. The thicker noodle holds the meat sauce better. Drain the pasta, remove the bay leaf, season the sauce as desired and pour over top of the pasta.

The Heinz tomato ketchup boosts the flavor of the sauce and combines well with the beef and herbs. For those that are health conscious, use lean minced beef and reduced salt beef stock cubes.

Garnish Spaghetti Bolognese with a bit of grated Parmesan. Serve with a green salad and full-bodied red wine for a luscious dinner.