Buddy’s Bolognese Recipe

Get the kids in the kitchen with this Buddy’s Bolognese recipe with sausages, minced beef and grated vegetables, from Buddy Oliver’s new cookbook!

Serves 6.

Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

2 pork sausages

olive oil

500g lean minced beef

2 onions

2 cloves of garlic

1 large carrot

1 celery stick

1 courgette

2 tablespoons thick balsamic vinegar

2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes

1 heaped teaspoon tomato purée

450g your favourite dried pasta

Parmesan cheese, to serve

Place a large casserole pan on a medium-high heat to warm up.

1. Squeeze the sausagemeat out of the skins.
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pan, add the minced beef and sausagemeat, breaking everything up with a spoon as you go, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Peel the onions and garlic, trim the carrot, celery and courgette, then coarsely grate all the vegetables on a box grater, finely grating the garlic. Scrape into the pan, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft and sweet, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the balsamic vinegar, then scrunch in the tomatoes (or tip in and break up with a spoon as you go). Half-fill each tin with water, swirl around to pick up the last bits of tomato and pour it into the pan.
5. Stir in the tomato purée and a pinch of black pepper, mash everything up with the spoon, then reduce the heat to low and leave to cook for 1 hour, or until thickened slightly.
6. About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water.
7. Carefully add the pasta to the sauce and stir well over the heat, loosening with a splash of pasta water, if needed. Divide between serving bowls, and finish with a good grating of Parmesan.

My Dad’s Nutrition Team helped me to make sure that the recipes in Let’s Cook are the right balance between nutritious everyday foods and things to be enjoyed occasionally. The recipes can be enjoyed by your whole family, so just dish up smaller portions if you’re cooking for little siblings. Throughout the book, there are also handy tips to building positive eating habits that are easy to remember, and will help you on the path to leading a healthier, happier life.

Let’s Cook: Fun, easy recipes for kids by Buddy Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph ©Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2024 Let’s Cook). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2024.