Mary Berry, Britain’s beloved culinary royalty, has shared her twist on creating the most sumptuous and succulent bolognese recipe. Ideal for a cosy weeknight dinner, Mary’s take on this staple not only promises comfort but an elevated taste experience courtesy of her unique prep method.
During a segment on BBC, Mary shared her “delicious” spin on a national classic, saying: “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. We Brits cook bolognese more than any other meat recipe, so here is how it goes.” Ready to serve six and simple to prepare in under half an hour, the magic of this dish occurs during the two hours of slow cooking, ensuring the meat becomes fork-tender.
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 pappadelle pasta
Salt for the pasta water
Parmesan cheese
Basil leaves to serve
Method
Start by preheating your oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas Mark 3 and warming oil in a large pan on the stove. Chuck in diced carrots, celery, and onions, cooking over a high flame for about five minutes until they start softening.
Brown off both pork and beef mince within the same pan; Mary noted that having the two types of meat means you get a “wonderful deep flavour”.
Should the meats clump, no fret rectify with a twin set of wooden utensils to stir your bolognese blend thoroughly. Once the meats have crumbled, add the garlic, cooking briefly before adding in the tomato paste.
Once everything’s well mixed, pour in the beef stock, chopped tomatoes, and passata, giving your bolognese sauce a hearty stir as it starts to simmer away.
This is your cue to splash in some wine and season with herbs, salt and pepper. Mary’s partial to white wine, but red will do just fine.
While most would now simmer their bolognese on the stove, Mary swears by a slow oven cook for an unbeatably succulent and rich sauce.
She advised: “Most people cook bolognese on the hob, but I have a good tip that will make the most tender, deeply flavoured bolognese that you have ever tasted. It really does bring out the flavour of all the ingredients.”
An hour into its oven time, introduce double cream to your bolognese, which Mary reveals as her “secret” step to achieving a luxuriously thick sauce.
She said: “After an hour in the oven, my secret is to make it even richer by adding in double cream. Don’t worry, it doesn’t curdle or anything like that, it just enriches it. What I want to end up with is a fairly thick mixture.”
Pop the sauce back into the oven with the lid on for another hour, enabling the meat to reach peak tenderness.
As the bolognese nears perfection, get your pasta going in a pot of boiling salted water, draining it when al dente and setting it aside.
Mary imparts one last piece of wisdom: “The Italian way isn’t to serve robust meat sauce with a skinny pasta like spaghetti. For the perfect pairing, choose a thicker shape like pappardelle [pasta].” Serve the pasta and bolognese on a plate, garnished with Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.
