MEXICAN BOLOGNESE
A Mexican twist on an Italian favourite! This lightly spiced Mexican bolognese is bulked up with veggies and beans, and topped with plenty of cheese, salad and a dollop of sour cream.
Most nights in our household are spent trialling new recipes, but sometimes we just feel like some basic comfort food. Spaghetti bolognese always hits the spot. I didn’t think I could share a recipe for regular spaghetti bolognese as it’s something that many people already cook regularly. Instead, I’ve created this Mexican bolognese as an interesting and flavoursome alternative.
MEXICAN BOLOGNESE
A Mexican twist on an Italian favourite! This lightly spiced Mexican bolognese is bulked up with veggies and beans, and topped with plenty of cheese, salad and a dollop of sour cream.
Ingredients
BOLOGNESE
- 1 red capsicum
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 500 g prime beef mince (1lb 2oz)
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 400 g canned Mexican flavoured crushed tomatoes (14oz)
- 400 g canned black beans, drained (14oz)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
TO SERVE
- 300 g rigatoni pasta (10.6oz)
- 1/2 iceberg lettuce
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 spring onions
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (100g)
- 1/2 cup lite sour cream (125ml)
Instructions
MAKE BOLOGNESE
Dice capsicum into small pieces and crush garlic. Heat oil in a large non-stick pot over medium-high heat. Add mince and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over.
Stir in capsicum, garlic, crumbled OXO cube, oregano, cumin and paprika. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, then add canned tomatoes, black beans and sugar. Bring to a rapid simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and leave to simmer gently (stirring occasionally) while you prepare serving ingredients.
PREPARE SERVING INGREDIENTS
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Stir in pasta and cook for 11 minutes (or according to instructions on the packet), until al dente.
While pasta cooks, finely shred lettuce, dice tomatoes and thinly slice spring onions.
SERVE
Season bolognese with salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta and divide between individual serving bowls. Top with bolognese, grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, spring onions and a generous dollop of sour cream.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Try a Pinot Noir.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use a gluten-free stock cube (dissolve in a little boiling water if it doesn’t crumble easily). Replace pasta with your favourite gluten-free pasta. Rice is also a good alternative.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: If you can’t find Mexican flavoured crushed tomatoes, choose another flavour of crushed or diced tomatoes. Penne and most other types of pasta can be used instead of rigatoni.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store individual portions of pasta, bolognese and cheese together. Keep salad and sour cream separate. Reheat pasta and bolognese in the microwave.
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