With autumn taking over and the weather turning colder, embracing the cosy new season usually involves not only a wardrobe change but also a change in eating habits. Many people around this time of year prefer to cook and eat ‘warm’ and ‘comforting’ meals and foods rather than summery dishes like salads.
From soups, pies, and curries to stews and risottos, there are many different ‘homely’ food choices to enjoy. However, one option that is easy, affordable, quick, and tasty is spaghetti bolognese.
The rich and hearty dish isn’t complicated to put together and doesn’t take too much time either. Traditionally, spaghetti bolognese consists of pasta topped with a rich, slow-cooked ragu made with ground beef or a mix of meats, a mix of chopped carrots, celery, and onions, and a small amount of tomatoes, enriched with wine, and often milk or broth.
Often, people will add common seasonings like garlic, bay leaves, and dried herbs like oregano for extra flavour. It is normally finished with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
However, according to one chef, one ingredient makes spaghetti bolognese “taste even better” and “look beautiful”, and it doesn’t involve changing much of the recipe at all. Chef Jack Ovens, who is a professional chef with more than 14 years of experience working in commercial kitchens “and a serious love for cooking”, says simply adding sundried tomatoes into the mix can make a huge difference.
Taking to YouTube to share a video demonstrating this, Jack pleased hundreds of his fans by discussing the benefits of the ingredient, which can be found in most supermarkets. In the comment section, one viewer said: “This looks really delicious. I’ve never seen anyone add sundried tomatoes to bolognese before. That’s a clever idea, I love it.”
Another put: “I love the idea of the addition of sundried tomatoes Jack! Looks as fabulous as ever.” A third said: ” I love the idea of the addition of sundried tomatoes Jack! Looks as fabulous as ever.” A fourth wrote: ” Thanks for yet another awesome recipe Jack, never thought of adding sundried tomatoes before will give this a go!”
In the video’s description, the chef, who has 1.5 million subscribers, says: “Learn how to make this beautiful, delicious, easy-to-make spaghetti bolognese. This recipe and the instructions are super easy to follow, and the end product is incredible.
“This bolognese recipe contains a few ingredients that are easily substituted or left out but I’ve included all of that in the commentary of this video. Once you try this recipe, you’ll never buy the store-bought sauce ever again. Trust.”
Ingredients in full are:
- 200g (7.05oz) – Streaky Bacon, Diced (Substitute For 1 1/2 Tbsp (30ml) Olive Oil)
- 2 – Brown (Yellow), Onions, Grated
- 2 – Carrots, Washed & Grated (Leave The Peels On)
- 2 – Ribs Of Celery, Washed & Grated (Optional)
- 4 – Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 10g (0.3oz) – Picked Oregano Leaves, Roughly Chopped
- 10g (0.3oz) – Picked Rosemary Leaves, Roughly Chopped
- 500g (1.1lbs) – Beef Mince (Ground Beef)
- 500g (1.1lbs) – Pork Mince (Ground Pork)
- 1 Cup (250ml) – Cheap Red Wine (Substitute For Vegetable, Chicken Or Beef Stock)
- 200g (7.05oz) – Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Roughly Chopped
- 10g (0.3oz) – Picked Basil Leaves, Roughly Chopped
- 2 Cans (800g-1.76lbs) – Diced Tomatoes + Splash Of Water To Rinse Them
- Seasoning To Taste
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, Freshly Grated To Serve
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Serve
- Cracked Black Pepper To Serve
- Fresh Basil To Serve
- 150g (5.2oz) – Pasta Of Choice (I Used Spaghetti)
You can watch how Jack makes his spaghetti bolognese with added sundried tomatoes in the video below.
How can sundried tomatoes make spaghetti bolognese ‘taste better’?
Putting sun-dried tomatoes into spaghetti sauce adds a rich, intense flavour to both traditional marinara and cream-based sauces. They can be used in their whole form, sliced, or puréed, and complement ingredients such as garlic, onions, basil, and a variety of herbs.
If your sun-dried tomatoes come in oil, use that oil to sauté your garlic and onions, as it will add extra flavour to the sauce. Try sautéing the sun-dried tomatoes along with your garlic and onions to soften them and boost their flavour before incorporating other sauce ingredients.
For a creamier sauce or a pesto, you can blend the rehydrated or just chopped sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce. You can even rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes by soaking them in water, stock, or wine before mixing them into the sauce.
