Nice bolagnase sause?

gelsthe

Hi all, I like spaghetti Bolognese and always cheat and use the dolmio sause. Having realised the amount of salt etc in it I'd love to try make one myself but wonder how to get the same zingy taste.. Has anyone a homemade sause they'd share please ?

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Fry a chopped onion in oil until it's soft but not brown. Add 2 cloves of chopped/crushed garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add mince. Cook until brown. Add a carton of pasatta and salt and pepper.
Voila

colm_mcm

As above, but with a dollop of Chef Ketchup

Akrasia

For me, to make a family sized pot, its onion, couple of cloves of garlic, finely chopped peppers, couple of tins of chopped tomatoes and some fresh cherry tomatoes for the sweeter flavour. Seasoned with basil, oregano and chilli powder and a fair squirt of tomato puree.
I also grate a few carrots and throw them in for bulk and health benefits. When they're finely grated you don't notice them after they are cooked so why not.

happywithlife

Dolmio will have a lot of sugar so it make take a few goes to readjust your palette but stick with it.
I'm similar to above
For the sauce itself I personally use tinned whole plum tomatoes but passata will be closer in texture to your dolmio without going to the hassle of blitzing it
I start with the onion & garlic too. Tin tomatoes. Tomato puree. You could add a teaspoon of sugar here - it was used to counteract the acidity of tinned tomatoes in the past but the quality has improved so much over the years I don't bother now. Plus it's one less teaspoon of sugar
If adding basil add towards end. Remember dried is more concentrated than fresh so use less. If fresh never cut basil with a knife just tear it straight in. (Metal in knife reacts with it)
Give it a chance to simmer slowly over a low heat rather than boiling to allow flavour to develop.
There's loads of recipes online etc but keep it simple.

AllForIt

Bolagnase sause is made from Passata and Tomato Puree essentially. Both of these products are perfectly healthy and can be found in the same section of the supermarket as bolagnase sauce.

The problem is that both passata and especially Tomato Puree have a sour taste to them which is why sugar is added to the mix. Another problem is that way too much sugar is added to jarred sauces and thus ppl get used to the sweet taste as in the case of mineral drinks.

I won't go into a specific recipe here but it's is not very difficult to make a bolagnase sause, one sautés onion and garlic in oil, throw in some herbs and then add the passata and puree. It needs some sugar but the point is if you make it yourself you can limit the amount of sugar that you put in it, say a tea spoon or so dependant on the quantity your making.

I like to use mixed herbs, oregano and basil. If your feeling a bit more adventurous and have the time grated carrots then chopped adds a nice texture to it. Believe it or not a tiny pinch of cinnamon works to give it a nice flavour. The more flavoursome you make it by use of herbs etc the less sugar you will need to put in it.

Dial Hard

There are almost as many bolognese recipes out there as there fish in the sea, many claiming to be authentic but there really is no such thing.

Anyway, for me the key to a good bolognese sauce
is:

A good base sofritto of carrots, celery and onion

Garlic, lots of, but be sure not to burn it

Bacon

Tinned whole plum tomatoes, whizzed in a chopper (I hate tinned chopped tomatoes, you get way too many stalky bits)

A good pinch of sugar per tin of tomatoes

Plenty of dried oregano

A good dash of balsamic vinegar. This will also add sweetness.

Taste and season before you serve, obvs.

After that, it's really a case of what tickles your fancy. Sometimes I add red wine, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I add a dash of Worcestershire sauce, sometimes I don't. I'm not a fan of basil in bolognese. The dried stuff is muck and fresh is better kept for dishes where it can be the star of the show, imo.

Cook it as low and slow as you can. Bolognese is like curry and chilli, it benefits from mellowing time. Use the best quality mince you can afford. If you have to use cheap stuff, drain the fat off after you cook it.

Mellor

gelsthe wrote: »

Hi all, I like spaghetti Bolognese and always cheat and use the dolmio sause. Having realised the amount of salt etc in it I'd love to try make one myself but wonder how to get the same zingy taste.. Has anyone a homemade sause they'd share please ?

There's not very much salt in jarred bolonese. Maybe 1g per serve. That's nothing.
The sugar is much higher, but half of that comes from the tomatoes, with added sugar making up the rest. The recipes above would probably have very similar amounts of sugar by the end

Peregrinus

colm_mcm wrote: »

As above, but with a dollop of Chef Ketchup

The OP is trying to reduce her salt intake.

Dtp1979

Peregrinus wrote: »

The OP is trying to reduce her salt intake.

Sodium intake is way overrated.

rubadub

Mellor wrote: »

The sugar is much higher, but half of that comes from the tomatoes, with added sugar making up the rest.

Probably well over half is naturally from tomatoes. I think the companies do themselves a real disservice but not specifying how much is added sugar -as I think many just see the label and think "of which sugars" means added sugar.

Here is dolmio Bolognese

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=253538414

Tomatoes (76%), Tomato Paste (11%), Onions, Sugar, Cornflour, Lemon Juice, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Basil (0.3%), Garlic, Parsley, Herbs , Spices

No delcaraton for sugar % in those ingredients.

This is per 100g
Carbohydrate (g) 7.6
of which sugars (g) 5.8

Now look at a passata
https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=289807001
Ingredients
Tomato (99.5%), Salt

so no added sugar, and per 100g
Carbohydrate (g) 5.1
of which sugars (g) 4.5

Now you have to factor in that the dolmio is more concentrated too, so you would expect a higher % of sugar.

Tesco finest passata, again no added sugar
Carbohydrate (g) 5.5
sugars (g) 5.5


Roma tomato puree, just to show the effect of concentration, there is no added sugar
Carbohydrate (g) 14.5
of which sugars (g) 14.5

And a tesco no added sugar bolognese sauce

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=297484916
Carbohydrate (g) 5.4
sugars (g) 4.2

artvanderlay

My secret sauce is passata with a spoon of dried oregano, and 2 spoons balsamic vinegar with the usual onion, garlic, red chili, fresh basil etc

Peregrinus

While the information about sugar is valid, the OP's concern is in fact about salt. Premade pasta sauces tend to be fairly heavy on the salt; passatas vary widely, with some being as salty as the sauces and some having only a fraction of the salt content. I'm afraid there is no substitute for reading the label.

The other point to bear in mind, of course, is that the salt content given for the premade pasta reflects the state of affairs after the addition of all the other ingredients, whereas a sauce you make yourself from passata with a similar stated salt content with have a lower overall salt content - it's made up only partly of the passata; the rest is your onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes and so forth.

gelsthe

Wow, so very grateful for all the responses, thanks for taking the time to share opinions.. I have most of these ingredients anyway so will now start the 'tweaking' process.. the mind boggles with labels on jars.. 😦

Macy0161

It's also worth checking alternative jar options - I seem to recall a programme a few years that "investigated" the sugar issue, and some of the cheaper/ own brand options were less added salt than the more premium options. I don't know whether that applies to salt content too, but could be worth checking or comparing.

fwiw, we quite often just make "bolognese" with just passata and some of an italian herb jar, but then we see spag bol as a quick and easy option - if we were going to the effort of some of the recipes we'd make something else!

GingerLily

artvanderlay wrote: »

My secret sauce is passata with a spoon of dried oregano, and 2 spoons balsamic vinegar with the usual onion, garlic, red chili, fresh basil etc

Balsamic will definitely get a zing into the flavour OP if that's what you're after!

Mickeroo

Pasatta, tin or two of chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, onion then just add mince and whatever other veg you want.

Tar.Aldarion

passata,onion, garlic and liquid smoke or harissa paste.

igCorcaigh

Some anchovies for unami

daisyos1

This is my favourite-
1 chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves chopped/crushed
1 red pepper chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
Minceballs

Fry your minceballs first in some olive oil, remove from the pan. Add all of the other ingredients bar the tin of tomatoes. Sauté for around 4 minutes and then add the minceballs back into the pan. Add the tomatoes next and simmer for 10/15 mins

GingerLily

daisyos1 wrote: »

This is my favourite-
1 chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves chopped/crushed
1 red pepper chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
Minceballs

Fry your minceballs first in some olive oil, remove from the pan. Add all of the other ingredients bar the tin of tomatoes. Sauté for around 4 minutes and then add the minceballs back into the pan. Add the tomatoes next and simmer for 10/15 mins

10-15 minutes? Don't you mean 1-3 hours?

Alf Veedersane

GingerLily wrote: »

10-15 minutes? Don't you mean 1-3 hours?

Hours for meatballs?

daisyos1

GingerLily wrote: »

10-15 minutes? Don't you mean 1-3 hours?

I've never cooked any sauce for hours? Unless it's a stew/casserole that's slow cooked. No need for meatballs to take that long either. 10-15 minutes is long enough especially if you fry them a little bit first

Milly33

Oh once you have made your own sauce you will never go back. Dolmio is so sweet and full or sugar..

Tinned Tomats (less sugar than Passata)
Bit of puree
Worchestshire sauce
Herbs Rosemary, Thyme, Basil,Nutmeg
Lot of pepper
Grated Parmessan
Half a bottle of red wine or white pending on how heavy a sauce you want
Stock also pending again how you like

LaChatteGitane

I know Irish and British people have a strange concept of Bolognese and I don't want to sound pedantic (which I probably do):D, but Bolognese is a type of stew. Italians would raise a few eyebrows at the, no doubt very tasty, concoctions.
Bolognese contains hardly any tomato, maybe just a spoonful of concentrated tomato paste, but that's it. Furthermore you always, always start with a soffrito, which is onion, celery and carrot (no other veg is ever added).The meat is a mixture of pork and beef mince and pancetta pieces. Wine (either red or white is added as a first liquid and needs to be completely absorbed/evaporated before you add decent beef stock.
It then has to simmer for 2 to 3 hours uncovered. The liquid needs serious reducing. At the end of cooking a dash of milk is usually added.
The only herb that is 'acceptable' is oregano and bay leaf. season with salt and black pepper to taste.
The result is a thick, intensely flavoured stew/sauce that is eaten with papardelle, tagliatelle, penne or lasagna.

purist/pedant mode : off:D

Alan2016

I totally agree with the latest post.

there is no "bolognese" sauce in Italy. What Domio claims to be a "bolognese" sauce, is just a standard tomato sauce.
The real bolognese sauce is the so-called "ragu alla bolognese" which hardly has tomato in it , and it is mainly made with mince.

Always try to balance the acid coming from the sauce by adding a tea spoon of sugar at the beginning.
Pour half a glass of red/white wine with the mince and let the alcohol evaporate befare adding the passata or the tomato sauce.

And the most important thing: cook it slowly. let it cook for at least half an hour, but slowly. don't let the sauce boil. the temperature has to cook the sauce and the meat without burning it

Let me know how it goes!