Bologna rigatoni
This is a great Italian dish. Slow cooking the beef makes for a delicious rich sauce to toss with your pasta. Rigatoni is perfect for this dish as it catches all the lovely beef and sauce. Sprinkle with basil and parmesan for a real Italian feast.
SERVES 4 | PREP & COOK: 1 hr 45min
Ingredients
1 carrot
1 celery
1 white onion
1 garlic clove, finely diced
500g mince
2 tbsp tomato puree
400g tinned tomatoes
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp oregano
Pinch of caster sugar
500g rigatoni pasta
Method
In a food processor blitz the carrot, onion and celery together, until they resemble small chunks (you can finely chop by hand if you rather).
Place a large deep frying pan or casserole dish over a medium to high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Add the chopped carrot mix to the pan and slowly cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the garlic and chilli flakes to the pan and cook for another minute.
Add the mince to the pan and cook until browned all over. Add the tomato puree and stir together. Add the milk and stir again.
Add the tinned tomatoes, oregano and a good pinch of sugar to the beef, stir and turn down the heat to low. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 1 hour to let the sauce reduce and thicken.
After the mince has cooked for an hour bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta to packet instructions.
Drain the pasta and combine with the beef, sprinkle over some fresh basil and a handful of parmesan and tuck in!