Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti Bolognese Uses An Unexpected Cooking Method For Better Flavor

Jamie Oliver's famous spaghetti Bolognese is a crowd favorite for good reason, with the celebrity chef using one key difference in the cooking to make it taste even better: Oliver bakes the meaty pasta sauce in the oven instead of cooking it in a pot on the stove. He keeps the oven heated at a fiery 350 degrees to make the Italian dish. The restaurateur first sautées bacon bits, garlic, rosemary, and onions, until soft. After adding in raw ground beef (but don't rinse it in water prior) in the pan and cooking for 2-3 minutes, he drops in a little bit of red wine and some tomato paste. 

Oliver instructs home cooks to then put the ingredients into a casserole pan and cover it so it can hibernate in the oven for one hour. But, after 30 minutes, he advises checking on the mixture and stirring it around (add a dash of water if the blend looks dry or crusty). While the chunky mix finishes cooking, make sure to boil your spaghetti as instructed so you can top it with the rich and hearty mélange.

Jamie Oliver notably recommends cooking your pasta until it is "al dente." The "Naked Chef" star urges amateur chefs to let the spaghetti simmer until then so it's soft enough to have some bite, but neither too spongy or too tough. However, the pasta should still contain some toughness to it and be slightly chewy. While the package instructions may note a certain amount of time, Oliver clarified that stopping the timer before the allotted period ends is better so that the pasta can remain nicely firm. As for hungry vegetarians, the celebrity chef suggests whipping up a bowl of comforting spaghetti Bolognese by replacing the bacon and ground beef with porcini mushrooms for a richer flavor. 

Classic spaghetti Bolognese may be a time consuming dish to make, but it's always reliably full of reward since this classic brings a medley of delectably different savory tastes with each bite. Still, you have to be patient when rustling up a plate, taking care not to burn the veggies and meat or to overcook the pasta. Spaghetti Bolognese also takes a while for the tomato mixture and the spaghetti to bubble down and should be monitored closely. As Oliver demonstrated, the longer you take to get it right, the better it'll be.