Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

MEAT & VEGETABLE SAUCE FOR SPAGHETTI

 1 brown onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 stick of celery, diced

1 cup of red and green capsicum, diced

½ cup of frozen peas

1 400 g tin of diced tomatoes – herbed variety optional

1 cup of chicken stock

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic chives

1 400 g of bolognese pasta sauce

500 g of lean minced beef

powdered Parmesan cheese

olive oil for cooking

DIRECTIONS
Sweat onions, garlic and garlic for 2 minutes on medium heat – do not let onion brown.

Add celery, carrot and capsicum and cook for a further 5 minutes

Transfer vegetables to a clean bowl

Add some extra olive oil and heat and add mince, cooking until brown and broken up finely.

Return vegetables to pan and combine well

Pour in tinned tomatoes, chicken stock and pasta sauce. Bring to the boil and reduce to a ‘bloopish’ simmer for 45-60 minutes

KEEP MOIST, do not allow sauce to reduce to pure mince – Add a dash of stock or white wine if necessary

Add peas about 15 minutes from end of cooking and mix well

PASTA

I like to use "Angel Hair" pasta here as it blends with the sauce very nicely and you don't get big globs of pasta surrounded by sauce.

Boil a quart of water with a pinch of slat and a dash of good quality olive oil. When boiling, hold pasta erect in the centre of the pan and release, allowing it to 'fan' around the edge of the pan.

Add a quarter of a teaspoon of dried mixed Italian herbs

Cook until done to taste and drain, serve into individual dishes and sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese powder

Spoon over the sauce and serve, adding more Parmesan to suit taste.

Serve with chunks of fresh, crusty, Italian bread loaf and a glass of a good red wine - I like Lambrusco.