Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe, Malaysian Home Style: Ingredients, Steps and Tips

Spaghetti bolognese is the red pasta many Malaysian families cook for dinner, birthday parties and packed lunches. The sauce is tangy, sweet and meaty, so children usually enjoy it. Below, we share a home-style spaghetti bolognese recipe with amounts, steps, tips and storage advice.

In Bologna, Italy, this meat sauce is called ragu, and people usually serve it with tagliatelle. Malaysian cooks, however, usually choose spaghetti and often make the sauce sweeter. Both versions taste good, so pick the style that suits your family.

Ingredients for this spaghetti bolognese recipe

The amounts below are home estimates for 4 adults.

Meat sauce

• Minced beef, 300 g
• Big onion, 1, diced
• Garlic, 4 cloves, chopped
• Carrot, 1 small, grated or finely diced
• Canned tomatoes, 1 can (about 400 g)
• Tomato paste, 2 tablespoons
• Tomato ketchup, 2 tablespoons (optional, for a sweeter taste)
• Mixed dried herbs or oregano, 1 teaspoon
• Bay leaf, 1 (optional)
• Water or chicken stock, 1 cup
• Olive oil or cooking oil, 3 tablespoons
• Sugar, salt and black pepper to taste

Pasta and garnish

• Spaghetti, 250 to 300 g
• Grated parmesan or cheddar
• Parsley or basil leaves to garnish

Prep time, cook time and servings

Preparing the ingredients takes about 15 minutes. Then the sauce needs to simmer for around 30 to 40 minutes. In total, plan for about 1 hour for 4 plates.

How to cook this spaghetti bolognese recipe step by step

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.
2. Fry the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.
3. Add the carrot and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly soft.
4. Next, add the minced beef and break it up with a spatula. Cook until no pink remains.
5. Stir in the tomato paste for 2 minutes so it loses its raw taste.
6. Pour in the canned tomatoes, ketchup, dried herbs, bay leaf and water.
7. Bring it to the boil, then lower the heat.
8. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, and stir now and then so it does not burn at the bottom.
9. Taste and season with sugar, salt and black pepper.
10. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in salted water as the packet says, then drain it.

Serve the spaghetti with the sauce on top, or toss everything together in the pot. Finally, add cheese and parsley before eating.

Cook the minced meat all the way through

Minced meat needs to cook fully. The chart from FoodSafety.gov lists 71 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Fahrenheit) as the safe minimum for ground meat. If you have no thermometer, then make sure no pink parts remain and the juices run clear.

Tips for a tastier spaghetti bolognese recipe

• Simmer longer on low heat, because time makes the tomato taste softer and sweeter.
• Grate the carrot finely so children do not notice the vegetables in the sauce.
• Do not rinse the spaghetti after boiling, since the starch helps the sauce cling.
• If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of pasta water.
• The sauce often tastes better the next day, once the flavours settle.

Variations on the spaghetti bolognese recipe

Use minced chicken

Swap the beef for minced chicken for a lighter taste. In that case, you can cut the simmering time to 20 minutes. However, make sure the chicken is fully cooked before serving.

Add vegetables and mushrooms

Stir in diced button mushrooms, capsicum or zucchini. In addition, frozen peas add colour and sweetness.

Spicy version

First, fry 1 tablespoon of blended chilli with the onion. Alternatively, serve chilli flakes on the side for adults. For a white pasta instead, try our spaghetti carbonara recipe, or the garlic and oil style in the aglio olio recipe.

Side dishes and lunchbox ideas

For example, bolognese goes well with garlic bread or a fresh green salad. For a birthday party, serve it in a large dish and let guests help themselves. Children love extra grated cheese on top, too.

Leftovers from this spaghetti bolognese recipe also work for packed lunches. First, reheat the sauce in the morning until it boils, then pack it in a thermal food jar so it stays hot until lunch. Besides spaghetti, the same sauce goes well with bread, rice or macaroni. Some families even bake it with cheese as a simple lasagne.

Cook a big batch for busy weeks

Bolognese sauce also suits batch cooking. Divide it into small containers, let it cool, and then keep it in the fridge or freezer.

According to USDA FSIS, you should refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and finish them within 3 to 4 days. Frozen leftovers keep their best quality for 3 to 4 months. Also, reheat the sauce until it boils and is hot in the centre.

No time to cook? Try the ready-to-eat version

Simmering a sauce for 40 minutes is hard on a work night. That is why many people keep a ready meal at home for busy evenings.

MakanHubb makes Spaghetti Bolognese in a retort pack, with spaghetti and bolognese sauce in one pack. It needs no fridge and keeps for 1 to 2 years before opening. You can eat it straight from the pack or soak the pouch in hot water for a few minutes. Prices start from RM17.90 a pack.

For the weekend, also try the laksa johor recipe, which also uses spaghetti, or the thai laksa recipe.

FAQ about the spaghetti bolognese recipe