recipe is: urban spaghetti

Ingredients

1 1/2 packets of spaghetti (or however much you need) , boiled in lightly salted water til al dente

350 gms minced beef, marinated with 1 tbsp light soya sauce & 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

6 tbsp olive oil
6 big onions, diced
1 whole head of garlic, skinned and pounded
2 cans button mushrooms, 1 can halved/quatered & 1 can thinly sliced
1 tbsp lea & perrins
450 gms tomato puree
170 gms tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine (can be substituted with beef stock)
6 dried bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried basil leaf
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/3 tsp coarse ground black pepper
salt and sugar to taste
grated cheddar cheese

Method


heat the olive oil over a small flame, then add the onions and sautee til soft and opaque

add the garlic and fry til fragrant

add in the beef and stif fry til almost cooked thru

add the bay leaf, basil leaf, rosemary, black pepper and the lea and perrins

stir fry for another 5 mins

add the tomato paste and tomato puree

add the red wine and button mushrooms

let it simmer for another 5 mins

add the salt and sugar to taste

close the lid and let it simmer for another 15 mins, adding more liquid if needed

serve hot with spaghetti and cheese

note: ~ it is better if the tomato paste is substituted with sundried tomatoes

~ i prefer cheddar cheese to parmesan for this sauce as it's more robust and stronger in flavour

~ the sugar is to balance the sourness of the tomatoes. try not to add too much sugar as you'll lose the tangy tomato taste