A Very British Bolognese
Rosemary, Pale Ale, Mushrooms, Cheddar & Special Pasta
Ingredients
Serves 2 + 6 Bolognese Freezer Portions
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 400 g chopped mixed onion carrot & celery
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms
- 500 g lean beef pork or veggie mince
- 500 ml pale ale
- 2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
- 250 g fresh lasagne sheets
- 20 g Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Put a large, shallow non-stick casserole pan on a medium-high heat.
- Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves, then sprinkle into the pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to crisp up.
- Add the chopped mixed veg and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, while you trim and finely chop the mushrooms.
- Stir them into the pan with the mince, breaking it up with your spoon.
- Cook for 15 minutes, or until golden and caramelized.
- Pour in the ale, let it cook away, then stir in the tomatoes and 1 tin’s worth of water, mashing it all with a potato masher.
- Simmer on a medium-low heat for 1 hour, mashing occasionally to thicken the texture.
- Season to perfection.
- For 2 portions, either cut the lasagne sheets into 2cm slices or, for a bit of fun, stack up your sheets and cut 2cm slits into them at ½cm intervals all over.
- Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for just 3 minutes, then scoop out and toss with 2 portions of Bolognese, loosening with a splash of pasta cooking water, if needed.
- Grate over the cheese, and serve right away.
- Batch up your leftover portions, cool, and pop into the fridge or freezer for another day.
- Happiness.