Helen’s bolognese
This ‘bolognese’ from Ottolenghi COMFORT is not exactly the bolognese you might be expecting. It’s closer in some ways to mapo tofu without the tofu, a spicy, intensely flavoured and slightly anise-flavoured ragù. However, it’s still absolutely perfect over pasta, and hits all the same comforting notes as the original, with a little more heat.
Extracted from Ottolenghi COMFORT by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley (Ebury Press, £30). All photography by Jonathan Lovekin.
Pasta Bolognese: so many of us grow up on a particular version which then becomes the ‘normal’ against which all others are measured. Anyone whose default is an Italian or Anglophone take on the dish will be delighted by ‘Helen’s Bolognese’. Adapted from a noodle sauce in Carolyn Phillips’ book, All Under Heaven, it gets a lot of its depth and deliciousness from doubanjiang – a spicy bean paste made from fermented soya beans, broad beans and chillies. It is a key ingredient in a lot of Sichuanese food and readily available in Asian grocers or online.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 75ml of peanut oil
- 1 onion, finely diced (180g)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced (125g)
- 1 celery stick, finely diced (75g)
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 500g of pork mince, or beef, or a mixture of both
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 40g of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of Shaoxing wine
- 100g of doubanjiang, aka chilli bean paste
- 50ml of light soy sauce
- 310ml of water
- 1 tbsp of cornflour
- 7 spring onions, finely sliced (75g)
- 360g of pappardelle
Dressed cucumbers
- 1 large cucumber, cut into thin batons (310g)
- 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- salt
To serve
- 5g of coriander leaves, roughly torn
- 1 1/2 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds
Method
Put the oil into a medium saucepan, for which you have a lid, and place on a medium-high heat
- 75ml of peanut oil
Once hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, star anise, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds
- 1 onion, finely diced (180g)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced (125g)
- 1 celery stick, finely diced (75g)
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables take on some colour
Take the pan off the heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a plate, leaving behind the oil and any sediments
Keep the pan on a medium-high heat and add the meat, garlic and ginger. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the meat is lightly browned. Add the Shaoxing wine, cook for a minute, then add the doubanjiang, soy sauce and 250ml of water
- 500g of pork mince, or beef, or a mixture of both
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 40g of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of Shaoxing wine
- 100g of doubanjiang, aka chilli bean paste
- 50ml of light soy sauce
- 250ml of water
Stir to combine, partially cover, and simmer on a medium-low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring from time to time
While the meat sauce is simmering, mix the cornflour with the remaining 60ml of water and set aside
- 1 tbsp of cornflour
- 60ml of water
Return the cooked vegetables to the sauce, along with the spring onions and the cornflour slurry
- 7 spring onions, finely sliced (75g)
Simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered
Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the dressed cucumbers in a small bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt, mix to combine and set aside
- 1 large cucumber, cut into thin batons (310g)
- 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- salt
Cook the pappardelle in salted boiling water until al dente, then divide between four bowls. Ladle over the meat sauce and top with some of the dressed cucumbers
- 360g of pappardelle
Finish with the coriander and sesame seeds and serve, with the remaining cucumbers on the side
- 5g of coriander leaves, roughly torn
- 1 1/2 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds
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