It’s the classic family staple food served up and down the country, being easy to make, tasty and full of nutrition.
Spaghetti bolognese is now firmly one of the nation’s favourite foods, but it can be upgraded and made even better with one unusual ingredient (just don’t tell the Italians). According to food experts, adding instant coffee to your spag bol can revolutionise the flavour, breathing new life into this tried and tested dish. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to stray from the classic recipe, try adding in a dash of coffee to your spaghetti sauce.
The bitterness from the coffee can help to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes in the sauce, giving it a deliciously smokiness and adding much more depth to the overall flavour.
Adding coffee to the dish also comes with another benefit as its acidity can help to tenderise the meat by breaking down the proteins in the mince, making it more moist and less chewy.
Food Republic says: “The reason why instant coffee can wake up savoury dishes – such as spaghetti sauce – is because of its inherently bitter and acidic nature.
“While its acidity makes instant coffee an excellent addition in marinades to help tenderise meats – or in meat-based sauces, such as a bolognese – its bitterness can add a contrasting flavour, giving spaghetti sauce a delicious complexity.
“But for coffee to add a savoury richness to your spaghetti sauce without overpowering other flavours in it, the key is to not be too loose-handed with its quantity.”
As a general rule, experts say one teaspoon of instant coffee should be enough to enhance the flavour of your spag bol, but you can adjust this according to your taste and add more if you prefer.
Simply dissolve the instant coffee in hot stock and pour this infusion into your minced beef and tomatoes as it’s bubbling away in the pan. If you’re using ground coffee instead, it’s best to brew it first and then add the liquid.
Twice the Spice says: “Two things to consider when selecting a coffee blend are the roast level and the origin. Medium to dark roasts tend to work best when cooking with coffee because they have a more robust flavour, allowing them to stand out in the dish.
“Furthermore, coffee from different regions offers varying levels of acidity and richness, so it’s worth trying out different blends to determine which one works best for your recipe.
It adds: “As a sauce, coffee’s bitter taste will do wonders to the overall harmony of your dish. Use a tablespoon of finely grounded coffee to add to sauces from pasta to meat sauce, or even to enrich gravies. The coffee adds depth and flavour to the sauce, making it a well-rounded journey for your taste buds.”