Beautiful Bolognese

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 75 Minutes
Serves: 8 – 10 portions
Ingredients:
- 2 red onions
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 courgette
- 200g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 sticks celery
- 2 medium carrots
- 750-900g grass fed, organic beef steak mince
- 250-300g cooked puy lentils
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 500g of passata
- Tablespoon of marmite (love it or hate it, it’s optional but adds great flavour and richness)
- 300ml chicken or beef bone broth (you can buy this in supermarkets and online now, but you can substitute with stock if need be)
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper and a little salt
- Olive oil
Method:
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Add the finely chopped vegetables, 3-4 tablespoons of oil and the bay leaves (snap the bay leaves to release more flavour) to a large saucepan or casserole that will work on the hob.
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Grind lots of pepper and a little salt into the colourful mix, and heat on a medium heat, stirring frequently so that nothing catches on the bottom of the pan.
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After 15 minutes or so, when the onions are opaque and the carrots have softened a touch, add the mince. You can turn the heat up here, to brown the mince all over.
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Keep the mixture moving until no pink meat remains, then add the passata, stock, and marmite. Then a good grind of black pepper, pop in the lentils, and bring to the boil, before immediately turning the heat to low.
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Leave the cauldron to gently bubble for an hour at least, stirring regularly, and reducing until you have a thick and rich sauce. If it gets a little dry, add more stock.
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Servce with fresh pasta, courgetti or wholewheat buckwheat noodles.
Recipe taken from Family Fork by Louise