A British culinary icon, Mary Berry is well-versed in everything from the fine details of homemade pastry to the household staples Britons love.
Though Italian in its roots, bolognese has become a firm favourite in the basic home cooking repertoire. Bolognese sauce is famous worldwide, but most versions are far from authentic.
Many of them lack dairy. However, Mary Berry swears by it for the most tender results.
In a BBC video, Mary revealed her “delicious” recipe: “Nothing beats a hearty supper when you’ve worked up an appetite, and this recipe is my delicious version of one of our nation’s go-to dishes.”
Another key difference in Mary’s recipe compared to most is using thick and textured pappardelle pasta instead of spaghetti.
This brings the recipe closer to the traditional dish, Ragu alla Bolognese, paired with pappardelle or tagliatelle that mop up the ground beef better than noodle-like spaghetti.
Both pappardelle and tagliatelle are long, flat egg pasta ribbons, but pappardelle is wider and is often served with heartier sauces.
Ingredients
- 500g of pork mince
- 500g of beef mince
- 500g of passata
- 400g of chopped tomatoes
- 200ml of beef stock
- 150ml of wine
- Two chopped onions
- Two sticks of chopped celery
- One large chopped carrot
- Three crushed garlic cloves
- Three tablespoons of sundried tomato paste
- Four tablespoons of double cream
- Two tablespoons of chopped thyme leaves
- Four bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to serve
- 450g of pappardelle pasta
- Salt for the pasta water
- Parmesan cheese
- Basil leaves to serve
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Take a large, lidded, ovenproof casserole dish and drizzle the oil on the base.
Heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and fry over high heat for about five minutes. Cook the ingredients until they soften, then add the pork and beef mince.
Fry everything until browned and any excess liquid has evaporated, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and stir it, then follow with the tomatoes, stock, herbs, and wine. Season with salt and pepper, boil, cover, and bake for about an hour.
Now stir in the cream and return the casserole dish to the oven, with the lid off, for another hour, until tender and reduced.
To cook the pasta, bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta and check the seasoning of the sauce.
Divide the pasta between plates, top with the sauce and top with some grated parmesan. Finally, garnish with basil leaves and serve.
