Australian showjumping star James Paterson-Robinson is back on home soil after many years living and training overseas, which means his Aussie friends and family are now able to enjoy his famous spaghetti bolognese.
Although Roger Fitzhardinge states in his feature on the two-time Olympian that in his equestrian life, “he is never ever slapdash”, in the kitchen James is a little more inclined to wing it. Not quite sure exactly how much of everything he throws in to create his culinary masterpiece, the below recipe does involve a little guesswork from Roger — who is quite handy in the kitchen himself, we might add!
INGREDIENTS:
1kg of tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs oregano leaves
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
500g beef mince
1 onion, diced
1 small wedge parmesan cheese, grated, rind removed and roughly chopped
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
250g spaghetti
Parsley or basil leaves, to serve
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Place the tomato on a baking tray. Add half the garlic and sprinkle over oregano leaves. Drizzle with two thirds of the oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and crush with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mince, season with salt and pepper, then cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 15 minutes or until meat is browned. Transfer to a bowl along with pan juices.
3. Reduce heat to low and add onion and remaining garlic to pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Return mince to pan and increase heat to medium. Add tomatoes, parmesan rind and balsamic vinegar to pan, and cook for 30 minutes or until the rind has disintegrated into the sauce. Top up bolognese sauce with half a cup of water at a time if it’s reducing too much.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute less than packet instructions or until ‘al dente’. Transfer pasta straight from boiling water into bolognese sauce, tossing it to combine.
5. Divide spaghetti bolognese among bowls, then serve topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. EQ
