Bolognese is such a wonderful “comfort food dinner in our home. My kids have asked me for a while to add it to my blog.
It is of course not a traditional
Middle Eastern dish. But mine is! Well, not exactly. But I do use my Middle Eastern spices in the sauce. I use them in everything I cook.
I love anything made with ground (minced) meat! My mother loved anything cooked with minced meat.
i often make it nowadays vegan. There are such good vegan “ground meat” assortments available. With the right spices and a good sauce, you can’t tell the difference when I’m done.
I have made it with beef, turkey and lamb too. Delicious!
One of my favorite ways to make
it is to use left over cooked meat and grind it for a new meal.
I like to serve it is over spaghetti. Regular spaghetti not the very thin type. I love spaghetti!
Here is what you need:
1½ pounds of ground vegan or any meat. (I like Impossible Burger ground vegan meat the best. I have found it to be the closest to real meat. I buy it at Trader Joe’s but I am sure it’s available in other stores)
3 - 4 tomatoes chopped or 1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt or more according to taste
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Jerusalem mix (optional)
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup water
½ teaspoon sugar
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large deep frying pan.
When I use real meat I like to grind it myself.
Fry ground meat, vegan or regular meat until browned all over. Shown below is vegan meat. .
Set aside in a bowl.
In the same pan heat 2nd tablespoon of olive oil and fry onion until translucent and yellow.
Add all dry spices and stir.
Add chopped fresh tomatoes if using and fry until soft. If using tomato paste add with other tomato cans.
Add chopped garlic. Mix and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the browned meat and mix.
Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add sugar.
Add 1/2 cup of water and cook on medium to low heat for a few minutes stirring.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes on low heat stirring every 10 minutes adding more water if sauce is too absorbed. Judge by checking it a few times.
Adjust the spices to your taste. Add chopped parsley in the last 5 minutes.
Serve over spaghetti or any pasta you like!
Bon Appétit!
