Cauliflower Bolognese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What brings out the flavour of cauliflower? ›

This is true of any vegetable — boiling it will give you a flavor closer to the raw flavor, which means more bitterness and more astringency. Caramelizing it will bring out its hidden sweetness. This light, vibrant roasted cauliflower salad is a recipe I developed for the fall menu at Duo.

For the bolognese all spice, cinnamon, and garlic powder really enhance the flavor of the meat. For the tomato sauce, fresh basil, bay leaves, and dried oregano are my herbs of choice, but feel free to mix it up! You can use dried basil, generic Italian seasoning, parsley, thyme.

Blandness usually comes from lack of seasoning. When you prepare a dish like spaghetti sauce you want to season as you go, not just at the end. Salt enhances the flavor of foods as well as performs some important functions during cooking, like drawing moisture out of ingredients and intensifying their flavor.

As the sauce simmers, the water in it will evaporate and the sauce will get thicker. You can also add a little bit of cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it without changing the flavor. If you don't mind altering the sauce's flavor, try adding grated cheese, tomato paste, or even mashed potatoes to thicken it.

According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”. She adds: “It also makes the mince meat nice and tender, creating that melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.”

Cauliflower should be cooked quartered, or cut into florets at the base of the stem. In kitchen lore, lemon juice, milk, flour and vinegar have all been recommended as additions to cauliflower cooking water, presumably to keep it white.

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Cauliflower contains some phytonutrients, these nutrients may react with iron cookware and gives the cauliflower a brownish color. To prevent this add some lemon juice to the cauliflower or to the water in which it is blanched.

If you are missing an umami note, it's possible you are missing a very common ingredient in bolognese - chicken livers. These give a meaty, almost sweet flavour. Soak them in water for a few minutes, then finely chop or pulse in a food processor. I use minced (ground) pork, beef and chicken livers.

And as an added bonus, both the plums and the vinegar have some great benefits for digestion, energy, and as an antibacterial boost. Umeboshi vinegar is a deep reddish purple. Perfect for adding both the depth of flavour and colour into our bolognese sauce!

What does sugar do in bolognese sauce? ›

Why should you add sugar to your spaghetti sauce? If the tomatoes are too acidic or you add wine to the sauce, and you don't plan on cooking it for hours like an authentic Sunday Sauce, then a teaspoon of sugar can help reduce the acidity.

Method. Put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add 4 finely chopped bacon rashers and fry for 10 mins until golden and crisp. Reduce the heat and add the 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 garlic cloves and the leaves from 2-3 sprigs rosemary, all finely chopped, then fry for 10 mins.

You can use beef stock instead of the cube!! This is my quick and easy cheat's version!! This is my own version of the classic Spag Bol sauce!! It is very easy to prepare and takes 40 mins to cook!!

As far as its taste, it will have a meaty heartiness from the browned meats, a sweet tang from the rich tomatoes, as well as an herbal kick from the various Italian spices used. If you've ever enjoyed a pasta dish with meat and tomato-based sauce, it was likely a variation of a bolognese recipe.

Like most recipes the longer you leave it to slowly cook the better the flavour will be but this can also be knocked up with in an hour.

Never rush a bolognese, good things take time. Cooking it for anything less than an hour is seen as rushed. We recommend 1.5 – 2 hours cooking time, or as much time you can spare the better.

Unfortunately for garlic lovers, it has no place in a traditional bolognese as the dish doesn't usually involve aromatics - it rarely even involves a bayleaf.