SMALL HOUSEHOLDS' TIME-SAVER BOLOGNAISE SAUCE, using pre-cooked freezer sauce & mince

Simple Bolognaise for singletons/twosomes, prepped ahead...

Quick & easy bolognaise with the help of freezer friends.
'So nice after a hard day at the coal face and so easy to prepare!'

This recipe is perfect for weeknight pasta dish when the body is screaming for protein and a vegetarian sauce and cheese just won't cut it

67 has already posted a recipe for making and freezing an easy rich, savoury Italian Marina Sauce.  

But pre-cooking mince or meatballs and freezing them is also a 'thing' in chefs' kitchens.  

TV chef Tom Kerridge swears by his method of pre-roasting mince until it is golden & crisp, then adding it to sauces (fresh & defrosted) when needed. 

67 tested it on a 500g/17oz package of 20%-fat beef mince from Waitrose. The   edges of Kerridge's mince were too crisp for 67's liking and appeared to defeat the purpose of being quickly incorporated into a sauce.  

Two other 67goingon50 methods were more successful: 

1. use your fingers to separate the strands of mince as much as possible 

• spread out in a large dry frying pan, breaking up the mass into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or potato basher, stirring occasionally
  
  
  
• as soon as the pink is gone, pour the mince through a sieve to drain off the fat, cool the mince and bag up into freezer portions appropriate to the household (wait till the fat solidifies then place in a bin; do not pour the fat down the drain or into the toilet!)

2.  OR form the meat into lightly seasoned golf-ball sized meatballs, drop them into boiling water, reduce heat to its lowest and leave 5-7 mins; drain, arrange on a flat surface - no need to space them out -  freeze and bag up  

3. OR use both methods: 1/3 on meatballs, the rest on mince

Portions: The amount of pre-cooked meat will obviously reduce after cooking but about 75-100g per portion should be about right.

Defrosting: If you haven't planned ahead and taken mince and sauce from the freezer before or on the day needed, no worries.  Just sit the bags (make sure they're air tight) in bowls of water until magical chemistry softens & defrosts the contents. 

It really will make a mid-week bolognaise a pleasure, not a chore.

Cost: £2.30'ish (2022) if you have Marinara in the freezer; more if you have to buy or make it

Feeds: 2

Ingreds
   1 tbsp olive oil
   min150gm/5.2oz beef or turkey mince

   
   2 tbsp/2 cloves grated garlic   
   1/2 tbsp dried oregano
   1/8 tsp chilli flakes

   1/4 cup dry red wine

   1 tbsp tomato paste

   250gm Marinara Sauce

   1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
   2 tbsp lightly packed chopped fresh basil leaves OR 2tsp dried
   

   thick 0-fat plain yoghurt (best for dieters), whipping/single or double cream
   freshly grated Parmesan

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan on med high heat
2. If you like, finely chop a few tablespoons onion, celery & carrot, add to oil and fry a few mins until translucent (optional step)
3. Stir in garlic, oregano & chilli flakes; cook 30secs,  stirring constantly 
4. Add tomato paste, salt & pepper; stir till fully incorporated
5. Add pre-cooked mince; wine & marinara sauce
6. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, simmer 10 mins
7. Add nutmeg & basil; simmer a further 8-10 mins
8. Taste; adjust seasoning
9. If using immediately, add dairy of choice & Parmesan before serving over pasta, rice or baked potatoes
10. Leftovers: If using marina sauce from the freezer,  do not re-freeze; mix with pulses or veg plus cheese for a toast topper.   

Comments:

'Time-savers like this take off a lot of pressure in these worrying times.  The final dish was extremely tasty.'   Retired writer

Tips:

• Bolognaisse Sauce from scratch with turkey here; and vegetarian here:

• If you're interested, here's Tom Kerridge's Pre-cooked Mince recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 189C/350F
2. Rinse 500gm/8.8oz beef in colander; drain; pat dry
3. Spread on a large tray
4. Roast 30 mins or until completely crisp & golden
5. Drain off excess fat
6. Cool
7. Divide into individual portions; freeze

(Kerridge says his pre-cooked minced sucks up the sauce it is cooked in)

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This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.