This is a hearty, economical family meal that ensures members get protein and vegetables in one delicious serve. If you are vegetarian/vegan, substitute the chicken mince and cheese for products of your preference. The secret of making this meal is “low and slow is the go”, cook the sauce on a low heat and get the vegetables to slowly release their flavour into the sauce.
Ingredients:
500gms chicken mince
Half a sliced leek
2 tbsps. olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 small punnet of fresh button mushrooms
2 cups dried “bow tie” pasta
1 chicken or chicken flavoured stock cube
500gm jar of tomato pasta sauce of your choice
½ bunch finely cut continental parsley
Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese to sprinkle on top.
Method:
• Heat the oil in a large frypan.
• Add the leek and gently sauté.
• Add the chicken mince, carrot and celery and cook, stirring until the mince is cooked.
• Add the mushrooms and stir until their juices are released.
• In the meantime, heat a large saucepan full of water, add the stock cube, and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is cooked to your taste. Don’t drain just yet.
• Back to the frypan, and add the pasta sauce and two to three ladles of the pasta water.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the large frypan. Stir the pasta into the sauce.
• Add the parsley.
• Serve the bolognese, and sprinkle it with cheese to taste.
