Labour of Love Low FODMAP Bolognese

Finally, a low FODMAP Bolognese that answers all those cries of ‘how do I get enough sauce?’.  Simple – a blend of roasted red peppers, wine and stock to bulk out your tomatoes.  Be warned, this is a labour of love, you can probably find quicker recipes, but I promise this is best!

Makes 12 portions

Time: 4-5 hours

850g beef mince

500g pork mince

75g bacon or pancetta lardons

1-3 chicken livers

1 aubergine

1 courgette

2-3 carrots

The green bits of 1 leek or a couple of sticks of celery

4 peppers (or 1 fresh pepper and a jar of roasted ones)

Fresh basil

Dried basil

Oregano

Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil (feel free to use garlic oil if you can tolerate it)

2 x 400g tins of tomatoes

Red or white wine and/or stock

100g pecorino or parmesan, finely grated

A little lacto free milk, if you can tolerate it

Homemade roast peppers

If you’re making your own roast peppers

1. Pop them in the oven at 200C fan/220 conventional/gas mark 7 for 30-40 minutes.  When they come out put them in a plastic sandwich bag (watch your fingers, they’ll be hot!) and tie the top.  Set aside to cool.  You can do this a day or so ahead if it’s easier to make them whilst you’re making another dish.

2. Chop all of your vegetables into small cubes – around 5-10mm.

3. Fry the bacon lardons until they release fat.  Use this to fry the mince off in batches, setting all of it aside in a bowl for later.

4. Chop the chicken liver and fry off for a moment or two. 

5. Once your peppers are cool enough, peel off the skins and pop the flesh into a blender, if you’re using a jar, pop them straight in.  Add the fried chicken liver and blend until smooth.

6.  Add the wine and tinned tomatoes.  If you have stock you can add it at this point.  Blend again to make a sauce.

7.  Fry your vegetable cubes in the meat fat for a few minutes, then pour over the sauce. 

8.  You’ll have a sour smelling, unappetising orange goo.  Don’t worry, it’s normal.  Bring the mix to the boil to cook off the alcohol.

9. Add the meat to the sauce and vegetables.  Add your herbs and seasoning, the proportions are up to you, the flavour will change over the cooking time anyway.

10.  Cook at a slow bubble for an hour, stirring occasionally. 

11. Add the pecorino and stir in splash of milk, if using.   Cook for half an hour more, stirring occasionally, until the mix has reduced.

12. Preheat the oven to 150C fan/170 conventional/gas mark 3.  Cook covered in the oven for 1 hour, then uncovered for an hour.  Stir from time to time.

13.  When it comes out it will be brown, slightly shiny on top, with a thick, glossy sauce.  Stir in a bit of fresh basil, and enjoy with gluten free pasta, on baked potatoes, or any other way you fancy.

Why blooming bother?

See why it’s a labour of love?  (I love you Mr FODMAP!).  That’s why I make it in bulk.  You get about 2 kilos of Bolognese that will freeze wonderfully.  Freeze it with pasta and you have instant lunch, TV dinner, post workout yums, or something you can take to a friend’s when they freak out about what to feed you.

Notes and Tips

This recipe needs to make at least 10 portions to be fructose safe because of the tomatoes, which need capping at 80g.  If you’re making less, remember to alter your proportions.  To be honest, you can probably reduce the amount of tomatoes, and it would be more authentic to.

Don’t leave out the chicken liver.  I hate liver (ask my mum about the time I hid it under my plate rim), but it gives the deeper flavour notes that we miss when we lose onion and garlic.

If you’re using a packet stock, then remember to check for onions and garlic and gluten if (like Mr FODMAP) you’re super sensitive.  We try to avoid packet ones because Mr F often reacts to them, but I think Knorr Touch of Taste is safe at the time of writing.

Apologies to my Italian friends for the extraneous vegetables and random herbs that do not belong in Bolognese, but FODMAPpers need fibre!

More pics follow, it's still cooking!