Spaghetti Bolognese
The weeknight standard, and it freezes in portions.
Serves 4 45 min 34g proteinKid-friendly
BeefPastaItalianBudgetFreezer friendly
Plan it this weekIngredients
- Beef mince500 g
- Spaghetti400 g
- Tinned chopped tomatoes800 g
- Brown onion150 g
- Carrot120 g
- Celery80 g
- Garlic15 g
- Tomato paste70 g
- Olive oil20 ml
- Dried oregano2 g
Method
- Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery and cook in the oil over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft.
- Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the mince and brown it well, breaking up any lumps.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes, oregano and a splash of water.
- Simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Season to taste.
- Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente, then toss through the sauce.
Cooking for a different diet?
Swaps that keep this dish what it is. The prices on this page are for the recipe as written.
Vegetarian
- 440 g Tinned brown lentils instead of Beef mince
No browning: add the drained lentils with the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 15-20 minutes until thick.
Vegan
- 440 g Tinned brown lentils instead of Beef mince
No browning: add the drained lentils with the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 15-20 minutes until thick.
Gluten-free
- 400 g Gluten-free spaghetti instead of Spaghetti
Cook the gluten-free spaghetti a minute short of the packet time and toss it with the sauce straight away.
Swaps are suggestions — check labels if you are cooking for an allergy.
What it costs, and where to buy it
Shops to compare
List price at each shop
Pak'nSaveBest choiceno items missing · $15.73 of food
$42.27
63% spare
New Worldno items missing · $20.07 of food · $4.34 more
$76.89
74% spare
Woolworths NZno items missing · $25.07 of food · $9.34 more
$58.29
57% spare
$3.93a serve
$3.93 a serve, cheapest at Pak'nSave
About $15.73 of ingredients used for 4 serves.
$69.47 across 3 shops · all 10 items priced · $27.24 more for bigger packs, 78% spare for later
Pak'nSaveBest choice$15.73
no items missing
you'll pay $42.27 · 63% of it spare
New World$20.07
no items missing · $4.34 more
you'll pay $76.89 · 74% of it spare
Woolworths NZ$25.07
no items missing · $9.34 more
you'll pay $58.29 · 57% of it spare
Buy at Pak'nSave$24.52
Beef mince
$16.99/kg
need 500 gNz Beef Mince 1 kg$16.99closest match
Pak'nSave$16.99/kg$16.99·New World$23.99/kg$23.99·Woolworths NZ$12.50
Tinned chopped tomatoes
$2.08/kg
need 800 g2 × Pams Value Chopped Tomatoes in Juice 400 g$0.83closest match
Pak'nSave$2.08/kg$0.83·Woolworths NZ$0.94·New World$3.23/kg$1.29
Carrot
$1.99/kg
need 120 gCarrots 1 kg$1.99closest match
Pak'nSave$1.99/kg$1.99·New World$2.19/kg$2.19·Woolworths NZ$3.50
Tomato paste
$0.76/100g
need 70 gPams Tomato Paste 170 g$1.29
Pak'nSave$0.76/100g$1.29·New World$0.88/100g$1.49·Woolworths NZ$1.70
Dried oregano
$2.59/10g
need 2 gMasterFoods Oregano Leaves 10 g$2.59closest match
Pak'nSave$2.59/10g$2.59·Woolworths NZ$2.60·New World$2.79/10g$2.79
Buy at New World$38.47
Garlic
$26.99/kg
need 15 gLoose Garlic 1 kg$26.99
New World$26.99/kg$26.99·Woolworths NZ$2.49·Pak'nSave~$41.50/kg$2.49
Olive oil
$2.00/100ml
need 20 mlPams Pure Olive Oil 100ml 1 L$9.99
New World$2.00/100ml$9.99·Woolworths NZ$8.95·Pak'nSave$1.80/100ml$8.99
Buy at Woolworths NZ$6.48
Spaghetti
$1.49
need 400 gEssentials pasta spaghetti 500 gclosest match
Woolworths NZ$1.49·Pak'nSave$0.32/100g$1.29·New World$0.36/100g$1.79
Brown onion
$4.99
need 150 gWoolworths fresh vegetable onions brown 1.5 kg
Woolworths NZ$4.99·Pak'nSave$3.49/kg$3.49·New World$3.59/kg$3.59