5-a-day Bolognese

Get all five of your five-a-day with this spaghetti Bolognese. The hidden veg in the sauce makes it ideal for kids and you can freeze any leftovers

  • Prep:20 mins
    Cook:1 hrs
  • Serves 2
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 722
  • fat 27g
  • saturates 9g
  • carbs 76g
  • sugars 26g
  • fibre 15g
  • protein 37g
  • salt 0.5g

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 150g beef mince
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 leeks, finely sliced
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 large courgette, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 50ml chicken or beef stock
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 150g spaghetti
  • 25g parmesan, finely grated
  • a few basil leaves (optional)

Method

  1. Put ½ tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the beef and fry until well browned. Tip out into a dish and put the pan back on the heat with the remaining oil. Turn the heat down and cook the onions and leeks for 8-10 mins or until very soft, then add the garlic, pepper and courgette. Fry until the veg is starting to char at the edges and any water that's been released has evaporated.

  2. Tip the meat back into the pan and add the tinned tomatoes, purée, stock and oregano. Stir everything together, cover and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 35 mins. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti following pack instructions, then towards the end of cooking, stir half the parmesan into the Bolognese. Put a spoonful of the pasta water into the sauce to loosen it, if it looks too thick, then drain the spaghetti. Tip the pasta onto the sauce, toss everything together to coat and season well. Garnish with the remaining parmesan and a few basil leaves.

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