Um clássico que dispensa apresentações e agrada a todos, o Esparguete à Bolonhesa é sinónimo de comida de conforto. Este prato, com a sua base rica de carne e tomate, é perfeito para um almoço em família ou um jantar rápido durante a semana. É uma daquelas receitas que cada família tem a sua versão, mas que é sempre deliciosa e reconfortante.

Ingredientes (2 Pessoas)

  • 300 gr de carne picada de vitela
  • 1 lata pequena de tomate pelado
  • sal
  • pimenta
  • 1 cebola pequena
  • 2 dentes de alho
  • orégãos
  • 1 colher de sopa de polpa de tomate
  • azeite
  • 1 folha de louro
  • 50 ml de vinho branco
  • 175 gr de esparguete

Preparação

  1. Num tacho leve ao lume o azeite.
  2. Junte a cebola e o alho picado, o louro e deixe refogar um pouco.
  3. Junte a carne, mexa e deixe cozinhar um pouco.
  4. Tempere depois com o sal, pimenta e os orégãos, junte o tomate pelado em pedacinhos, assim como um pouco de polpa de tomate e vinho branco.
  5. Mexa bem, e assim que levantar fervura reduza o lume, tape e deixe cozinhar cerca de 30 minutos.
  6. Entretanto, leve o esparguete a cozer em água temperada de sal e um fio de azeite.
  7. Assim que o esparguete estiver “al dente” escorra e passe por água fria.
  8. Misture o esparguete com o molho bolonhês e polvilhe de orégãos.

From our Portuguese kitchen to yours, here is the English version below.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese is a globally adored comfort food, but here’s a fun fact: the version known and loved around the world isn’t quite what you’d find in its spiritual home of Bologna, Italy. The authentic Italian dish is actually Tagliatelle al Ragù. The original “ragù” (a meat-based sauce) from Bologna is traditionally served with wide, flat tagliatelle pasta, which holds the rich, meaty sauce much better than thin spaghetti.

The traditional ragù alla bolognese, first officially recorded in 1982, is a slow-cooked sauce based primarily on meat, often with a mix of beef and pork pancetta, sofrito (finely chopped onion, celery, and carrot), white wine, and milk, with only a small amount of tomato. The dish we know as Spaghetti Bolognese is a wonderful adaptation that became popular worldwide, emphasizing the tomato to create the rich, red sauce that is so familiar and beloved today.

This version of Bolognese is a fantastic and flavourful weeknight meal. It creates a savoury, herb-infused tomato and meat sauce that comes together much more quickly than the traditional slow-simmered ragù. The key is to let the sauce cook down for at least 30 minutes, allowing the flavours of the onion, garlic, tomato, and wine to meld beautifully with the minced beef.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

  • 300g lean minced beef (ground veal)
  • 1 small can (approx. 400g) of chopped or peeled tomatoes
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Dried oregano, to taste
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 50ml white wine
  • 175g spaghetti

Method

  1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan or pot over a medium heat.
  2. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and the bay leaf. Sauté gently until softened.
  3. Add the minced beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until it has browned.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, and white wine.
  5. Stir well, and as soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water with a dash of olive oil, according to packet instructions.
  7. Once the spaghetti is “al dente,” drain it well.
  8. Toss the drained spaghetti with the bolognese sauce and serve immediately, sprinkled with a little more oregano.