I saw Hemsley and Hemsley make a ragu recently to which they add mixed spice and also some grated carrot at the end. I tried that this time and it was good – lightened and sweetened the ragu very subtly. I also wanted to use the spiralizer that my friend Bridget bought me a while back. So I made pasta-free spaghetti using a courgette. The love affair with the courgette continues – it was great.
What to use – serves 4
- 500g 5% fat Aberdeen Angus mince
- 600ml passata (you could use half passata and red wine – I usually would but had none in)
- 300ml beef stock
- bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 3 cloves of garlic – sliced
- handful of finely chopped shallots
- handful of chopped parsley
- 1 carrot – grated
- salt and pepper
- 1 courgette per person to serve
How to use it
I fried the shallots, mixed spice and garlic in some olive oil then added the beef mince to brown off.
I then added the passata and the beef stock, seasoned well, added the bay leaf and put into the oven at 140C for 3 hours.
About 10 minutes before you want to eat, bring it up to the hob again and stir in the grated carrot and a handful of chopped parsley and continue to heat through.
When time to serve, I sauted the courgettini briefly in some olive oil to heat and soften it a little but it retained some crunch.
Mmm rating: mm mm mm
What to listen to: Jake Bugg Broken
What to watch: Super creepy Nightcrawler
eatburpsleep 