Nº 04 · Dutch & European · serves 4
Bolognese with Extra Vegetables
A rich, deeply tomatoey bolognese in which courgette, carrot and celery quietly vanish: vegetables eaten without anyone noticing.
Ingredients serves 4
Tick off what you already have at home.
Budget tip: replace half the mince with red lentils (approx. €1.50)
CarniceríaMercadonaLidl
Aisle: carnicería. 'Preparado de carne picada' contains additives; for pure mince, ask the butcher to grind it fresh.
Any supermarket
Aisle: frutería. Often sold as a whole head; freeze leftovers for stock.
Any supermarket
Aisle: conservas. Tubes or small tins; freeze leftovers in an ice-cube tray.
Any supermarket
Aisle: caldos y sopas. Stock comes in cartons near the soups; compare salt levels.
MercadonaLidlMAS
Aisle: aceites. Andalusia is olive oil country: even own-brand oils are good value, often sold by the litre.
To serve
Method
- 1
Fry the mince in olive oil in a hot pan until browned and crumbly. Leave it alone for a moment before stirring; that's how you get those flavourful crispy bits.
- 2
Finely chop the onion and celery (optional) and coarsely grate the carrot and courgette (optional). The finer they are, the less likely the children are to spot them.
- 3
Put the mince, vegetables, passata, tomato purée, stock, herbs and bay leaf in the slow cooker. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Cook for 6–7 hours on LOW or 3–4 hours on HIGH. Too runny? Leave the lid slightly ajar for the last 30 minutes.
- 5
Remove the bay leaf, cook the spaghetti until al dente and spoon the sauce generously over the top.
Flavourful Cooking · slowcookerspain.com/en/recipes/bolognese-with-extra-vegetables/