Insider tip!
This unusual ingredient makes your Bolognese irresistible
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Spaghetti Bolognese is one of our absolute favorite foods – no wonder, after all, the sauce is easy to prepare and tastes great for both young and old. We'll tell you which secret ingredient you can use to give the dish that certain something!
Almost every family has their own recipe for the perfect Bolognese, which is passed on from generation to generation. Whether with red wine or broth, carrots, celery or special spices – the possibilities of variation are almost endless! But for once you should deviate from the traditional preparation method of your family recipe, because there is an unusual ingredient that makes the meat even more aromatic: Instant coffee powder.
Coffee powder for the perfect Bolognese
Yes, you read that right! The tip was published on the website of the British supermarket chain Sainsbury's and has won many fans in no time at all. It's that easy: Dissolve a teaspoon of coffee powder in some beef broth and then mix it with the pasta sauce. Let the liquid simmer briefly and continue preparing the Bolognese as usual. This gives the dish more depth in terms of taste, but the coffee taste does not come out too strongly. In addition, the tart aroma is an ideal counterbalance to the sweet tomatoes.
Danger: Freshly brewed coffee is unfortunately not so good for Bolognese because it tastes too bitter. You can of course try to cook it very mildly and only mix small amounts into the sauce if you don't have instant coffee at home.
This spice completes your Bolognese
By the way, in our BRIGITTE forum, user Fairyqueen swears by another secret ingredient: At the end she tastes her Bolognese with a pinch of cinnamon from! As an alternative to ground cinnamon, you can simmer half a cinnamon stick in the sauce and refine the dish in this way. In contrast to the coffee variant, this preparation is suitable also ideal when children eat too. However, you should only use the spice sparingly so that the cinnamon flavor does not dominate the Bolognese too much.
With us you will of course also find recipes for spaghetti Bolognese as well as other ideas for minced meat, such as chili con carne.