“Get cooking with your kids – this recipe is sure to be a hit on the flavour front, and is a great one to cook up together. This bumper batch will feed 6 adults, so adjust the portion size accordingly for little ones, portioning up any leftovers to freeze for future meals. ”
Ingredients
- 2 free-range pork sausages
- olive oil
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 large carrot
- 1 stick of celery
- 1 courgette
- 2 tablespoons thick balsamic vinegar
- 2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes
- 1 heaped teaspoon tomato purée
- 450 g dried spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese , to serve
Method
- Place a large shallow casserole pan on a medium-high heat. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins.
- Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pan, with the mince and sausagemeat, breaking everything up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, while you prep your vegetables.
- Peel the onions and garlic, trim the carrots, celery and courgette. Coarsely grate all the veg on a box grater, finely grate the garlic, and stir it all into the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and sweet, stirring occasionally.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Half fill each tin with water, swirl it around to pick up all the last bits of tomato and pour into the pan.
- Stir in the tomato purée and a pinch of black pepper. Mash everything up with your spoon, reduce to low and leave to cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until thick, glossy and reduced.
- 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.
- Add the pasta to the sauce, stir in some of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce stick and mix well over the heat.
- Use tongs to divide between your bowls, then serve with a good grating of Parmesan cheese.
Tips
Jamie wholeheartedly believes that cooking is up there as one of the most valuable skills you can teach a child. Getting kids excited about food, where it comes from and how to cook it, gives them a better chance of being healthier and happier in the long run. When cooking with kids, use your common sense to determine what jobs they can help you with, depending on their age and skill level. It’s always good to start small, with jobs such as mixing and measuring, then progress to elements of a recipe, then go on to slightly trickier techniques over time. The more they cook, the better they’ll get. Make sure you supervise them when using heat or sharp utensils like knives and box graters, and teach them about the importance of washing their hands before they start, and after handling raw meat and fish, as well as other basic hygiene rules. Most of all, have fun with it, and encourage them to give things a go.
Source: Jamie Oliver
