Spaghetti Bolognaise packed with veg!

The secret to a good bolognaise sauce for me is fresh herbs. I can’t get enough basil in my life!! Herbs also count towards your 5 a day so this dish should offer 3 or 4 portions of veg per person (count- onions, celery, garlic, carrot, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh parsley, tomato purée- they all count!)

And it’s not just healthy it’s delicious! If you’re not keen on cooking with wine you can substitute for more stock- but believe me when I say- the wine makes all the difference to the taste!!

Ingredients-

500g beef mince

One large onion

One stick of celery

3-4 cloves of garlic

8-10 mushrooms

One small carrot

25g plain flour

1/2 pint of beef stock

1/4 pint red wine

Tin of chopped tomatoes

1-2 tablespoons basil

1-2 tablespoons parsley

1 tsp marjoram (dried)

2 tbsp Tomato purée

Dice the onions, slice the celery and mushrooms, finely chop the garlic, peel the carrot

In a large pan heat a little oil and cook the mince on a medium high heat. Keep working it with a spatula as it cooks so it doesn’t clump together. Once it’s all cooked drain off any excess oil in the pan

Add the garlic, onion and celery and cook for 2mins

Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 2-3mins

Add the flour and cook for a further 1-2mins stirring constantly

Add the stock

The red wine

The tomatoes

Quickly chop the herbs roughly

Add to the pan with the dried marjoram and then finely grate the carrot in as well. Give it a good stir. Bring to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Leave it simmering for 25mins stirring occasionally.