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slow cooked spaghetti bolognese
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Slow Cooked Spaghetti Bolognese

This rich Bolognese is slow cooked in the oven & served with al dente spaghetti. A simple but impressive midweek meal!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Large Saucepans
  • Microplane/Grater

Ingredients

Bolognese

  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 100 g Pancetta Diced
  • 500 g Beef Mince See Notes
  • 1 Large White Onion Peeled & Finely Diced
  • 2 Carrots Peeled & Finely Diced
  • 2 Sticks Of Celery Finely Diced
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Grated
  • 1 tsp Thyme Leaves Finely Chopped
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 200 ml Red Wine See Notes
  • 400 g Tinned Plum Tomatoes
  • 1 Beef Stock Cube
  • 400 ml Milk
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

To Serve

  • 450 g Dried Spaghetti
  • Parmesan

Instructions

Bolognese

  • Preheat an oven to 140°c/120°c fan (284°f/248°f)
  • Place the veg oil into a large saucepan then set it over a medium-high heat.
  • Let the oil heat up for a minute or so then add in the pancetta. Fry until crispy, stirring regularly then transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon (leave any fat in the pan!).
  • Next, add half of the beef mince into the pan then season with a pinch of salt. Fry until well browned, breaking the mince up with a spatula/spoon as you do so.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the browned mince from the pan & transfer to the pancetta bowl, leaving any fat in the pan. Repeat with the remaining mince.
  • Turn the heat down to medium then add in the diced onion, carrot & celery. Season with a pinch of salt then cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft, stirring frequently. Stir in the grated garlic & chopped thyme then cook for another minute.
  • Add in the tomato paste then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring almost constantly then stir the mince & pancetta back in.
    Cook the tomato paste until it darkens in colour. This caramelises it, adding extra flavour to our sauce.
  • Pour in the red wine, deglaze the pan then cook for 3-4 minutes, until almost completely reduced.
    To deglaze the pan, scrape the bottom with a spatula/wooden spoon to release any browned bits that are stuck on.
  • Next, add in the tin of tomatoes & the stock cube. Break the tomatoes up with a spoon then fill the empty tin up with cold water & pour into the sauce.
  • Stir in the milk & add in the bay leaves, bring the sauce up to a gentle simmer then season with salt & pepper. Transfer the pan to the oven & cook uncovered, for 2½ - 3 hours until the meat is tender & the sauce has thickened.
    Don't let the sauce boil as the sauce won't emulsify properly. Make sure to give the sauce a stir every 30-45 minutes whilst it's in the oven.
  • Once the sauce is cooked, place it back on the stove over a low heat then stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Give the sauce a taste, to check the seasoning then add more salt & pepper if needed.
  • Take the bolognese off the heat & leave to cool. Transfer to an airtight container then refrigerate overnight before using.

To Serve

  • Bring a large of pan of water to a rolling boil & add in a large pinch of salt. Add in the spaghetti, stir then cook until slightly less than al dente. The best way to do this is to cook for 1 minute less than specified on the packet.
  • Whilst the spaghetti is cooking, place the Bolognese into another large pan & set over a low heat.
    If you only want to reheat a couple of portions, allow 2 tbsp of Bolognese & 75g of dried pasta per portion.
  • Once the spaghetti is cooked, use a pair of tongs to transfer it into the Bolognese. Add a ladle full of pasta water into the sauce then stir, to coat the spaghetti.
  • Leave on the stove for another minute then transfer the pasta into bowls, using a pair of tongs. Top each portion with a generous amount of grated parmesan then serve!

Notes

1. Cooking In An Aga - Brown the meat & cook the veg, using the boiling plate. If the pan gets too hot at any point, move over to the simmering plate. To cook the Bolognese, place the pan of sauce onto the floor of the simmering oven & cook for 3 hours. If the sauce needs thickening up, cook on the boiling plate before stirring in the Worcestershire sauce.
2. Beef - To keep things simple, we're only using beef mince for our Bolognese. I'd recommend using mince that contains 15-20% fat.
3. Stock Cube - I like to use a Knorr rich beef stock pot but any beef stock cube will work.
4. Tinned Tomatoes - You'll need one 400g tin of tomatoes for this recipe. I'd recommend using plum tomatoes but chopped will work as well.
5. Chilling Overnight - Letting the Bolognese sit in the fridge overnight before using, massively improves the flavour. Although, if you're short on time, you can serve the sauce immediately.
6. Red Wine - Don't worry about using an expensive red wine! A Merlot or Malbec would be a good choice. If you'd prefer to make your Bolognese without red wine, use beef stock instead.