Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

It is unfortunately sad but true that most pasta places you find in Singapore serve pretty much mediocre pasta, and nothing gets worse than a plate of watery and sour Bolognese.

I will not name names, but the popular cafes here just do not take the effort to make a good sauce for this classic dish, and hence, make a mess out of it. It is amazing still, that most younger folks who patronize such outlets think they are eating real Spaghetti Bolognese.

For this reason alone, I was determined to concoct my own authentic Spaghetti Bolognese and this is my version.

To begin, boil some spaghetti in hot water and strain and set aside. Again, I do not use olive oil or salt in the pasta water as I feel that the actual sauce will do most of the magic of this dish.

I also like to add more flavor to this dish, and use a couple more ingredients that are not normally found in the recipe.

To begin, saute some bacon strips in a cold pan to render the bacon fat and use that as the cooking oil.

Add in half a chopped and diced onion and saute over medium heat until the onions are nicely caramelized with the bacon.

Next, add some diced garlic, about 4 to 5 cloves and mix well with the rest of the ingredients.

Add in about 200 to 300 grams of minced beef (serves about 2 to 3 portions) and stir well.

Cooking the Sauce

Add in about half a cup of red wine and bring the mixture to a boil and let it reduce until the wine has almost been absorbed by the mixture.

Add in about 2 whole fresh tomatoes (roasted if possible) and stir. Cooked until the tomatoes are totally melted down to almost a paste.

Add in some herbs of your choice (basil or thyme would be best) and season lightly with some pepper.

Add in about a cup of beef stock (or chicken) and bring the entire mixture to a boil. Let it simmer and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour.

At this point, it is also a tradition to add in just half a cup of milk or cream, but it is entirely up to you. It does help to add some creaminess to the sauce.

As the sauce cooks, add in additional water if the mixture gets too dried out and at the end of the cooking, add in some fresh grated parmesan cheese.

To serve, just add some fresh parmesan cheese and there you have it! Delicious, classic Spaghetti Bolognese.