Spag bol is unanimous household favourite, meaning you have to have a good trusty recipe. Some people like mushrooms in there, some people don't, but personally I love them so I have thrown plenty in along with a good glug of wine. It may not be the most traditional recipe, but gosh is it good.
Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 25 minutes prep, 8+ hours in the slow cooker
Ingredients:
- 1 White Onion
- 1 Red Onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 150g Chestnut Mushrooms (opt)
- 500g Beef Mince
- 1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
- 250ml Beef Stock
- 250ml Red Wine
- 2 tsp Tomato Puree
- 1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
- 1 tsp Marmite
- 3 tsp Granulated Sugar
- Dash of Worcester Sauce
- Bay Leaf
- Sprig of Thyme
- S&P
- Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Cornflour (opt)
- Spaghetti (to serve)
- Parmesan
Instructions:
- Start by finely chopping the onions and crushing the garlic.
- In a frying pan, heat a little olive oil and soften the onions and garlic.
- While they are softening, thinly slice the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Cook until both the onions and mushrooms are nearing a brown hue, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- In the same frying pan, brown the beef mince, stirring occasionally to gently break it up. Once browned, add to the slow cooker with the onions and mushrooms.
- To the slow cooker, add the tinned tomatoes, beef stock, red wine, tomato puree, ketchup, marmite, sugar, Worcester sauce, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Set the slow cooker to a low heat and cook for as long as possible, stirring occasionally.
- About 30 minutes before you're ready to eat, check the consistency in the slow cooker. If too liquidy, take some of the cooking liquor into a ramekin and mix with 2tbsp of cornflour, forming a pasta and stirring back through to the slow cooker pot.
- Meanwhile, prepare the spaghetti as per package instructions, aiming for al dente.
- Serve the rich ragu over spaghetti, garnished with ample parmesan.
Serving Note: Enjoy this meal with the soulful sounds of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" album.
