Ragu, spaghetti with meat sauce or just plain ol’ spag bol… it’s delicious whatever you want to call it! My Asian-spiked version adds some untraditional ingredients, and is all the better for it. Get ready to discover your next family classic.
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
500g (1 lb 1 oz) beef mince
500g (1 lb 1 oz) pork mince
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp gochujang*
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 star anise
2 x 400g cans whole peeled tomatoes
500g (1 lb 1 oz) dried spaghetti
finely grated parmesan cheese, to serve
sea salt
Lemon panko pangrattato
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup panko breadcrumbs*
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp sea salt
For the quick beef ragu, heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan over high heat. Add the beef and spread it out in the pan. Season with a sprinkle of salt and allow to sear for 4–5 minutes or until you get a nice deep colour on the bottom of the mince. Then break the mince up with your spatula. Add the pork mince and cook for another couple of minutes or until almost cooked through.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add in the gochujang and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until well combined with the mince. Add the soy sauce, star anise and tinned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes a little. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, make the lemon panko pangrattato. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toss for 2–3 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat and stir through the lemon zest, parsley and sea salt.
To serve, cook the spaghetti in boiling water until only just al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the spaghetti and add it back in the warm pot, along with the ragu and the pasta cooking water. Place back onto a medium-high heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Use tongs to toss the pasta and sauce until well combined and the sauce is thick and glossy. Divide among serving bowls. Top with parmesan, a generous sprinkle of the lemon panko pangrattato and a final drizzle of olive oil.
Notes:
– Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste. It can be found in the Asian aisle at most supermarkets or order it online.
– Panko breadcrumbs are a type of Japanese-style breadcrumb that are light and crispy.
