Recipes for Spaghetti Bolognese and Tomato Frito

I've always loved spaghetti bolognese, and it's one of these recipes that everyone knows how to make, but it tastes ever so slightly different each time you eat it in a different home or restaurant.

I'm writing this recipe down for my children, who adore it, or at least my version of it. I never did teach them how to make it, and now they can go online and read how to do, the way their mam made it for them.

Ingredients:

1lb minced beef (ground beef)

1 medium sized onion

2 cloves of garlic

1tsp salt

1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper

I medium can tomato frito (Heinz make it - if you can't buy it locally, recipe at the bottom)

1 15oz can whole tomatoes, chopped (it's a bit cheaper to buy the whole tomatoes)

1tsp oregano

1tsp parsley

1 large or 2 small bay leafs

3 whole mushrooms, chopped

1 tsp sweet basil

1tbsp olive oil for frying

Chop onion and place in pot with olive oil. Fry gently for 4- 5 minutes till softened. Grind or mash garlic and add after onion has been frying for 1 - 2 minutes.

Add mince (ground beef) and stir until browned all over.

Add salt, pepper and chopped tomatoes and tomato frito. If you don't have any frito, add a can of tomato puree and 1 tsp sugar.

Bring to boil while stirring occasionally.

Add parsley, oregano and bay leaves.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least one hour, I sometimes let it simmer for longer.

Cook the Spaghetti

Fifteeen minutes before you are due to serve dinner, place your dried spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water. A little olive oil added to the water at this stage will help prevent the pasta sticking. When it is ready according to either taste or the packet instructions, drain through a colander over the kitchen sink and place colander over the pot it was cooked in, to steam off.

Go back to the sauce, stir well, remove bay leaves, and add the sweet basil.

Let it cook for minute or two longer, then serve.

Bolognaise sauce should always be served on top of a bed of spaghetti or pasta, not the other way round.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan, cheddar or a cheese of your choosing.

Serves 3 -4 people.

1. Grated cheese, not necessarily parmesan. Cheddar is nicer but it's a matter of personal choice.

2. Crusty bread, warmed.

3. Garlic bread.

$. Fresh chopped tomato and a few lettuce leaves

Ingredients

2lbs fresh tomatoes, skinned and cored

1 onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp salt

2 tsp granulated sugar

4 tbsp olive oil

Chop garlic and onion and fry in olive oil for about 5 - 7 minutes until well-softened.

Add tomatoes and fry gently, stirring occasionally for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Add sugar, salt and pepper, if desired and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so.

Remove from heat and add to a blender and blend till smooth.

Either use straight away, or freeze for future use.

Chopped or diced carrot can be added to the spaghetti bolognese sauce for extra flavour and nutrition.

Mushrooms can be omitted if you don't care for them, but they do add to the flavour. You can always pick them out of your portion if you don't want to eat them.

Try to get sweet basil instead of ordinary basil for this recipe. It tastes so much better.

tsp - teaspoon

tbsp - tablespoon