Being Dad Food & Drink Lifestyle

Ultimate quick-fix spaghetti bolognese recipe

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Written by Tim Barnes-Clay

One dad reveals his easy spaghetti bolognese recipe for busy dads.

Petter O. from Geneva, Switzerland, has been working full-time for the past 30 or so years and been a father for 25 years. Moreover, he has been married for 30 years and been cooking for even longer – something he has always loved doing.

Petter is not Michelin star chef, nor a “foodie” or aspiring cook. He enjoys simple food and likes to make his family happy by preparing easy dishes. When he first got married, he was the only one in the relationship who could cook, so cooking has always come naturally to him through marriage and fatherhood. His advice for fathers who want to start cooking is to “just cut up things you like to eat and mix them”.

Spaghetti bolognese is great meal because there are many ways you can make them, and children can enjoy them just as much as parents. It’s easy to add or remove ingredients to cater it to your family’s tastes.

Petter’s recipe is perfect for a full-time working dad with little time on his hands but would like to become better around the kitchen. This dish takes about 20 to 30 minutes to make and requires just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients.

Spaghetti bolognese recipe:

  • Two carrots
  • Two onions (red or yellow, you choose)
  • Three garlic cloves
  • One celery stick
  • A full spoon of chopped up coriander
  • A packet of minced meat
  • Seven oz of tomato puree
  • Spaghetti
  • A teaspoon of sunflower oil (or similar)
  • A full spoon of butter (or margarine)

Instructions:

  • Heat up a large pan and add the sunflower oil with the butter
  • At the same time, boil water in a very large saucepan and add a teaspoon of oil (Petter use olive oil)
  • Chop up the carrots, onions, garlic, and celery
  • Cook the vegetables together, start with the hardest one (In this case, add the carrots first)
  • Add the minced meat and cook with the vegetable for approximately five minutes until the meat is brown
  • Add a little bit of water and the tomato sauce and continue to cook on a lower temperature for approximately 10 minutes
  • Add the coriander
  • Seasoned with salt and pepper to your convenience
  • Once the pasta is cooked you are ready to eat

Make a big portion and it will last you for three to four days in the fridge, or even freeze it, which is ideal for freeing up your time to spend with the family.