University life is back in full swing. The student’s natural migration has brought the flock together once more to return to chilly campus pathways and reluctant 07:30 classes. After weeks of sleeping in and family meals, a student should not have to worry about maintaining a sustainable diet as the semester tests begin to roll in once again. PDBY, the student’s guide to affordable and resourceful meals, is back to assist in ticking one thing off of the to-do list. This cheap and cheerful spaghetti bolognese recipe will leave you satisfied and cosy in between lectures or in bed after a long day.
Ingredients:
1 brown onion, chopped (R20.00 per kg)
1 garlic clove, chopped (R30.00 per 150 g)
500 g lean beef mince (R110.00 per kg)
400 g finely chopped tomatoes (R23.00 per 410 g)
420 g canned tomato soup (R33.00 per 405 g can)
2 tbsp tomato paste (R6.00 per 50 g)
375 g spaghetti (R19.00 per 500 g)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
For vegetarians:
500 g beyond meat mince (R100.00 per 250 g Woolworths).
Instructions:
First step, clean your hands, you filthy animal. This step is followed by cleaning your cooking space, as you deserve a clean environment. Find a pan, take any oil on hand and generously coat the pan before placing it over your stove at a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until lightly golden like an Italian in summer for about two to three minutes. Take the garlic and fry for another minute to make the neighbours jealous with all the aromas.
Take your beef mince, and under your breath thank the cow or the soy that provided you with your meal while you add it to your pan. Fry until fully cooked. If the meat is pink and blushing like you are on a first date, keep frying until it is brown. Add the tomato paste and mix it with the meat – stir it up like you are a hard-working widower gazing through a window. Add the oregano and tomatoes. Use white people seasoning by adding a good helping of salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes, and a little dance to your favourite song while you hunt for a big pot.
According to Italian cook Marcella Hazan, the spaghetti itself should be the final thing you cook when making a pasta dinner. Get out your big-boy pot, it is time to cook the spaghetti. Fill with six quarts water, or enough water to submerge the pasta. Bring to a boil and add salt. If you think you have added enough salt, add more. Salt seasons the pasta as it cooks and “penetrates” into the noodles. (That word is directly quoted from the original steps, and it felt shameful to exclude it.) Add the dried pasta and stir until the water returns to a bouncy boil. Go to your phone and, while avoiding that early alarm, set a timer for one minute less than the package instructions recommend. After the alarm bell has summoned you, test if the pasta is done. If you like your pasta very firm like a gym rat or plan on simmering the product for a while in sauce, check and remove even sooner.
Once you are happy with your pasta, take a scooping or clawing utensil of your choice and chuck that bad boy in a bowl. Then take your perfect sauce that even your grandmother would be proud of and whisper sweet nothings to it as you coat your “penetrated” noodles. Be sure to tell at least three people about your spaghetti bolognese – pretentiousness adds flavour.
