Kid-friendly recipe: Delicious Spaghetti Bolognese from La Barca Ristorante & Wine Bar

It’s pretty much a universal phenomenon: kids LOVE spaghetti bolognese! But it’s not just kids… who can resist a plate full of pasta cooked perfectly till al dente, smothered in a silky, rich, meaty tomato sauce?

If you are currently on the hunt for an amazing recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese that will delight the taste buds of your entire family, look no further!

The good people at La Barca Ristorante & Wine Bar have shared their Michelin Star-awarded Executive Chef Michele Sorrentino’s recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese.

My very fussy 4-year-old son chomped down a whole bowl of this yummy pasta, so I can personally warrant for it’s deliciousness!

Here are the simple steps to this Spaghetti Bolognese recipe… Happy Cooking!

Spaghetti Bolognese Ingredients (Makes 8 servings)

• 500g ground beef
• 2 medium-sized carrots
• 1 large onion
• 2 sticks of celery
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 500g canned tomatoes
• 250g fresh, ripe tomatoes
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 700g spaghetti

An array of fresh, colourful ingredients go into this dish, making it healthy and delicious!

Step 1: Finely chop the carrots, onion, celery and garlic in a food processor.

Step 2: Separately chop the canned and fresh tomatoes in a food processor.

Step 3: Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot. Add the vegetables (carrots, onion, celery, garlic) and chopped rosemary and sage.  Fry until the vegetables are slightly soft.

Step 3: Fry vegetables in olive oil till soft.

Step 4: Add beef to the softened vegetables and fry until browned and water has evaporated, leaving just the oil.

Step 4: Add beef to the vegetables and fry till brown.

Step 5: Add the canned and fresh tomatoes, and bay leaves, and stir into the vegetable/beef mixture.

Step 5: Add canned and fresh tomatoes, and bay leaves into the beef and vegetable mixture.

Step 6: Cook on low heat for about 3 hours until the sauce has thickened and browned.

Step 6: Cook on low heat till the sauce thickens up and becomes nice and rich.

Step 7: In a separate pot, bring to boil about 5 litres of water with 2 tablespoons of salt. Once boiling, add the spaghetti and cook till al dente (cooking time will depend on the type and brand of spaghetti used — follow the instructions on the packet).

Once cooked, strain the spaghetti.

Step 8: Heat a large pan (without any oil), put in the cooked spaghetti and sauce. Toss (or stir) until the sauce sticks to the spaghetti.

Step 8: Toss together the spaghetti and the sauce.

Serve immediately and get ready for your kids to ask for seconds and maybe even thirds!

Voila! A delicious plate of home-cooked spaghetti bolognese!

We hope you love this spaghetti bolognese recipe as much as we do. Do give it a try at home and let us know what you think about it by leaving a comment below. And don’t forget to read our review of La Barca Ristorante & Wine Bar too!