Healthy Pasta Bolognese

High in flavour, and high in nutrients.

Now, I love carbs. I don't understand people who go on low carb diets; they're almost always my favourite part of every meal and I don't feel full without some carbs, be they pasta, noodles, rice, potatoes, and so on. One of my two most frequently used carbs is pasta. I love to try different sauces with different types of pasta. This recipe is essentially a bolognese that I've personalised to increase the nutrient factor, without compromising on taste.

This recipe will serve 4 people (easily), or two people with leftovers for lunch the next day). It can be completed in 90 minutes, but it's preferable that it take 120 minutes, and I often like it best when it has simmered for 3 hours (or 180 minutes).

Ingredients:

• 400-500g dried long pasta, e.g. spaghetti, fettucini
• 250g beef mince
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or very finely diced (if you're lazy like me and don't want smelly fingertips, use about 2/3 of a tablespoon of garlic paste)
• 1 cup (or more) of diced miscellaneous vegetables, e.g. eggplant, capsicum, etc.
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 100ml red wine (sometimes I splash in a little more)
• 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed*
• 1/3 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 x 310g can of corn, drained
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (white, portobello, swiss brown, etc)
• 1-2 sticks of celery, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 beef stock cube (I like Massel)
• 1 tbsp dried mixed italian herbs
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 x 400g canned tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt (it'll be used to salt the pasta so don't bother using a gourmet salt)
• Freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano, to serve

I know there are a lot of ingredients but this dish is really easy to cook - so do not fear! I love to use spaghetti, though I'll add some other ways of modifying this dish at the bottom of the recipe- I love thinking of ways to make recipes more versatile. Do use freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano if you can. I recently started buying all my cheeses fresh from the local market's deli hall and they are so much better than the pre-grated, frozen packaged types.

1. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil to a deep saucepan (or saucepot), and heat over moderately-high heat until sizzling. Add the beef mince and brown, stirring and poking to break up any lumps. When the beef is brown and cooked through, push it to one side. Add 1 tbsp of oil and add the diced onion, garlic and celery. Cook until translucent.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms, miscellaneous vegetables and mix with the other ingredients in the pot. Reduce heat slightly, stirring to ensure that the ingredients don't stick. When the mushrooms are soft and cooked, add the red wine, Massel stock cube and about 1/4 of the herbs. Ensure that ingredients are well-combined and the stock cube has completely dissolved (biting into a badly dissolved stock cube is not a fun experience for the taste buds).
3. When the liquid has reduced slightly, add the canned tomatoes. Mix. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the Parmesan, pasta, salt and the last of the olive oil). Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 60-120 minutes, depending on how much time you have. The longer the better (I like to leave it for 3 hours so that the flavours have time to mingle with each other). Check regularly, adding water and stirring the mixture as necessary.
4. Approximately 15 minutes before your meal, boil enough water to cook the pasta that you're going to use. Add the salt and olive oil to this. Boil your pasta according to the packet instructions or until al dente. I tend to like mine done just past al dente, so I just use a fork to grab bits of pasta to try once it hits the 10 minute mark. When the pasta is finished, drain it, reserving about 1/4 cup of the boiling liquid.
5. Add the reserved liquid to your pasta sauce** and increase the heat. When the bolognese starts to bubble, turn off/remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper or a pinch of sugar (only if necessary, which based on my experiences with this pasta in unlikely), serve the bolognese over the cooked pasta and top with some of the Parmesan Reggiano.

Bon appetit!

Ideas:

• Use a short textured pasta, cooked to just before al dente. Add to the sauce and pour into a baking/casserole dish. Top with parmesan, mozzarella and any other good melting cheeses that you like, and bake under a preheated 150°C oven set to grill for 10-15 minutes or until brown and melted.
• Serve with a light green salad or some peeled chilled cucumber, thinly sliced.
• Stir through baby spinach before serving.
• For dinner parties, you could use the first suggestion but bake the pasta in individual ramekins instead of a large baking/casserole dish.

* Quinoa is a grain that is similar in appearance to cous cous. It can generally be found at specialist shops and organic stores, but is increasingly available in mainstream supermarkets.

** Adding some of the pasta water introduces the pasta's starch to your sauce, making it better at clinging to the pasta.