Martha Collison's bolognese recipe has a twist. She was told about someone who used a double espresso as the secret ingredient to the perfect bolognese sauce and was extremely sceptical. But on testing many variations, is now blown away by the depth of flavour it brings and how harmoniously it works with the beef.
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Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over
a high heat, then add the pancetta. Cook for
2-3 minutes, until crisp and the fat has rendered
down. Add the onion, celery and carrot.
Sauté for 10-15 minutes, or until softened and
reduced down.
Finely chop or blitz the mushrooms briefly
in a food processor to break them down into
small pieces. Add to the pan, then crumble
in the mince, and stir, breaking up any large
chunks using the spoon, until browned all over.
Add the stock cube, tomatoes, coffee, milk
and bay leaf. Stir well, cover with a lid and
simmer on the lowest heat setting for at least
1 hour. The longer you simmer, the more
intense and complex the flavour becomes.
Continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced
down almost completely. Season to taste and
remove the bay leaf.
When ready to serve, cook the pappardelle
according to pack instructions. Drain, reserving
a small amount of cooking water in a mug, then
add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Add
a splash of the starchy pasta water to loosen
the sauce so it coats each piece of pasta well.
Divide between shallow bowls and serve with
lots of freshly grated cheese.
Cook’s tip
Meat sauces such as bolognese benefit from an overnight stay in the fridge before reheating the next day, to allow the flavours to deepen and develop further. Try making the day before for the best results.
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy
3,891kJ/ 925kcals
Fat
29g
Saturated Fat
12g
Carbohydrates
109g
Sugars
11g
Fibre
7.6g
Protein
52g
Salt
2g
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