cheap eats: spaghetti bolognese recipe

Ingredients:

Tesco Everyday Value Beef Mince, 750g – £2.85

Tesco Everyday Value Chopped Tomatoes, 400g - £0.34

2tsp Tesco Everyday Value Tomato Puree - £0.35

2 Tesco Everyday Value Onions - £0.08* (£0.63 for a 1kg bag)

1 Tesco Chef’s Choice Garlic clove - £0.05* (40p for the garlic)

Tesco Everyday Value Spaghetti, 150g - £0.09* (£0.32 for 500g)

* Estimate per serving

I’m sure most supermarkets will have similar prices for their cheapest ranges but I’ve used Tesco as an example because I’m familiar with their products and know the value range is generally great. This recipe will quite easily feed two people for £4.89 which is not bad at all!

Instructions:

1. Add 500g of the mince to the pan and set to a low heat (the slower the meat cooks, the more tender it’ll be). Don’t add any oil – the mince will produce enough fat to be able to fry in its own oil so it’s not necessary to add any extra. Set the extra mince aside to make meatballs later.

2. Finely chop the onions and garlic clove, and add to the pan.

3. When the mince is completely cooked, remove any remaining oil and pour in the tinned tomatoes. I like to add a bit of tomato puree to add to the flavour and thicken the sauce a little. You could also add a sprinkle of basil or thyme if you have any in the cupboards! Keep the mixture on a low heat until ready to serve.

4. Before making the meatballs, heat your oven to 200°C and grab a baking tray. Mix the remaining mince into a bit of a mush (it doesn’t look or feel all that great, but trust me) and simply roll into balls. Place them on your tray and cook for about 20 minutes. When ready, add to the tomato/mince pan to get them covered in sauce!

5. Wait until the meatballs have been in the oven for about 8 minutes before boiling a pan of water and cooking the spaghetti (75g per person should be enough), then everything should be ready to serve at about the same time. Et voilà! Who says eating well has to be expensive?