A sugar free version of a bolognese sauce that you can batch make and freeze as a "ready-made" sauce for quick meals at a later date. Easy, cheap and vegetable-packed but still full of classic Bolognese flavours kids will love.
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter, optional (only if you are browning the meat)
- 4 streaky bacon rashers (or use a large handful of bacon lardons), roughly chopped
- 1 kg (2lbs) free range minced beef (or use 500g/1lb beef mince and 500g/1lb red lentils to make it cheaper)
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 3 medium carrots (2 large or 3-4 small), finely diced
- 4 celery sticks or 1 fennel bulb, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs (or 2 tsp each dried oregano and basil)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 700g (24oz) jar passata or 2x 400g (14oz) tins chopped tomatoes
- 250 ml (1 cup) red wine or sugar free stock/broth
- 1-2 tsp tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
- 150 g ( 1 cup) frozen peas
- 175 g (1 cup) frozen sliced peppers or mushrooms
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Optional: heat the oil in a pan and cook the bacon and mince until browned and bacon crisping up. Add to a slow cooker.
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Add all of the ingredients except the frozen veg to a slow cooker* and stir well. Cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours. Stir in the frozen peas and peppers or mushrooms for the last 30 mins of cooking time.
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Serve the sauce with wholegrain spaghetti or "courgetti" ("zoodles"), or adapt it to taste or using the suggestions found above the recipe. You can freeze this sauce in individual or family portions for up to 3 months or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
*If you don't have a slow cooker, don't panic! Simply brown the beef and bacon in the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot with the onions, carrots and celery or fennel for 5-10 mins until meat is brown, bacon is cooked and vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add all the other ingredients except the frozen vegetables and stir well, then simmer over a low heat for at least 30 mins, or up to 1 hour, checking and stirring regularly to ensure the sauce doesn't stick. If it starts to stick or look dry, add some water or stock and keep adjusting as needed. By the end of cooking time you should have a thick sauce and everything should be soft and cooked through. Add the frozen vegetables for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Can be served, frozen or refrigerated as for the slow cooker version.