Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Hong Kong-style Spaghetti Bolognese
港式番茄肉醬意粉
Recipe overview
This Hong Kong family pasta uses browned, separated minced beef, 5 mm vegetable dice and tomatoes. Cook tomato paste first, simmer the sauce gently, reserve pasta water, and combine only before serving.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 400 g—check wheat, gluten and egg labels Dry spaghetti
- 500 g—10–15% fat, keep chilled Minced beef
- 200 g, carrot 120 g, celery 80 g—5 mm dice Onion
- 450 g, canned diced tomatoes 400 g arlic cloves, fresh tomato
- 250 ml—cooking liquid only Unsalted beef stock
- 10 g, Parmesan 30 g (optional) Parsley
- 3 litres pasta water—reserve 250 ml before draining About
Beef seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (reduce for children) black pepper
Tomato meat sauce
- 2 tablespoons (cook 1 minute before liquids), ketchup 2 tablespoons, Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon, 2 dried bay leaves (remove), dried oregano 1 teaspoon, sugar 1 teaspoon Tomato paste
Pasta water seasoning
- 1 tablespoon in 3 litres water Salt
Cooking fat
- 1 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon to finish butter
02
Tools
- Black deep nonstick skillet
- silver pasta pot and lid
- wooden spoon
- silicone spatula
- pasta tongs
- pasta ladle
- large bowl
- two small bowls
- colander
- measuring cup
- knife
- board
- spoon
- teaspoon
- chopsticks
- kitchen paper
- food thermometer
- four white deep plates
- heatproof gloves.
03
Steps
Step 1
Dice vegetables
Cut onion, carrot and celery into 5 mm dice; mince garlic and cut tomatoes into 1.5 cm pieces.
Step 2
Loosen beef
Season chilled mince with salt and pepper and separate lightly with chopsticks; never form a solid ball.
Step 3
Brown and separate
Heat oil, leave beef 30 seconds, then break it up until fully brown with no pink; reach at least 71°C.
Step 4
Remove excess fat
Push cooked beef aside, spoon off excess fat, leaving a little for vegetables.
Step 5
Soften vegetables
Sauté onion, carrot and celery until onion is translucent, then briefly cook garlic.
Step 6
Cook tomato paste
Clear a dry spot and cook tomato paste for 1 minute until darker before adding liquids.
Step 7
Build sauce
Add both tomatoes, stock, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and bay leaves.
Step 8
Simmer and reduce
Bubble gently 20–25 minutes, scraping the base; never thicken with cornstarch.
Step 9
Boil spaghetti
Near sauce completion, cook spaghetti in fully boiling salted water until tender and springy, with no hard white core.
Step 10
Reserve pasta water
Scoop 250 ml hot starchy water before draining; never rinse hot pasta in cold water.
Step 11
Finish sauce
Remove bay leaves, add butter and pasta water gradually until thick but flowing.
Step 12
Combine to serve
Sauce plated spaghetti only immediately before eating; finish parsley and cheese, and store leftovers separately.
Common mistakes
- Cook the minced beef fully and do not scorch the tomato sauce; drain the pasta while just tender and combine it with the sauce only at the end.
Tips
Cook the minced beef fully and do not scorch the tomato sauce; drain the pasta while just tender and combine it with the sauce only at the end.
