With the spaghetti bolognse extravaganza in this month’s Australian Gourmet Traveller out and about, I’ve been inspired to share my Mum’s version this week. The dish that gave me a deep love for the comforts of pasta and one of the things that gave me massive respect for my Mum’s cooking, especially when I got to boarding school and tasted the poor excuse for spag bol dished up by the nuns.
While vermicelli (very thin spaghetti) was the most common accompaniment to this meat sauce, it was also the base for Mum’s delicious lasagne. Occasionally leftovers would be used for a quick lunch served on top of toast with a handful of cheese and a quick spin under the grill.
 2T olive oil
 750g (1 2/3lbs) minced beef (ground beef)
 1 large brown onion, peeled & diced
 500g (18oz) jar commercial tomato pasta sauce
 1T Worcestershire sauce
 2t crushed garlic
 1t dried oregano leaves or small handful fresh oregano
 1t marjoram leaves or small handful fresh marjoram, optional
 1t Basil leaves or large handful fresh basil leaves
 500g (1lb) vermicelli or spaghetti
 parmesan cheese, to serve, optional
Place oil, beef and onion in a large frying pan and cook over a high heat stirring regularly until the meat has browned and the onion is soft.Â
Add the pasta sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and herbs. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce has reduced and thickened.
Cook pasta as per the packet directions. Drain and divide between plates and top with a generous amount of the meat sauce.
Serve immediately with cheese passed separately if using.
I think this book looks really good andit seems so fitting to honour your mother in this way.
Everybody must have their own versuin of “spag bol” it’s such a good stabndby. Personally I love the way the Italians use herbs so often in their recipes but I would say that oregano is best dried as the flavour is better, marjoram is a close relative but a gentler sweeter herb. I dom’t think I’d bother using both. Now Basil is hte king of herbs and really makes you dish stand out.
Did you know Basil is blackened by contact with metal so it’s best to tear it rather than chop.
Also Crush dried oregano lightly in your hands before adding to dishes to activate its essential oils, and for the best taste add it near the end of cooking (which applies to most herbs)
Oh I want your book so badly Clance! Please let me buy one (or two).
P.S you sound so happy.
That’s a great looking bowl of spaghetti!
hi authentic italian food
thanks for taking the time to comment. agree on the similarity of oregano and marjoam but mum grew both in her garden and she didn’t like to play favourites which is why she used both. I’ve put them both in as optional because I agree with you about basil being the king.
I had heard that it was better to tear basil rather than chop but didn’t know why so thanks for enlightening me.
And thanks for the tip about the dried oregano.
Em. You’re the best. Thanks for the support
thanks amateur in the kitchen.
ooh pretty pretty. and i love the whiteness and narrowness here–i feel very tall skinny and narrow on this page :P
Congratulations Jules, I bet your Mum would be proud and honoured. It’s such a lovely thing to do.
Really looking forward to checking it out :)
thanks for dropping by mallory. I love the thought that you feel tall and skinny when you visit stonesoup
thanks chirstie,
I think she would like it
I love blurb! I created a book out of my 4 week trip to New york a couple of years back for my 30th birthday. it’s a shame the currency isn’t so good as I was surprised at the quality of the books. They’re quite beautiful..if you have one on blurb I’d be happy to buy from there!
Congrats on the book! It looks great and the photos are amazing! I just ate my lunch but am all of a sudden hungry again.
Oh I am so excited. I look forward to seeing the book. I am always lookign for family friendly recipes. How much do you think you will sell them for?
Your photography is so excellent that I think it’s all the better that you plan to include more photos rather than less. I guess that’s yet another benefit of self-publishing. You get to make all the decisions.
Grreat idea to self publsih. Are you willing to advise on self publishing? I am keen to self publish, but don’t really know where to start or even where to start to collect the information required.
Thanks
Kathy
Oh i am so excited. I can not wait to get my hands on a copy and I know it will be absolutely gorgeous. Your photos and writing have always been so full of life. I can not wait to be able to give your beautiful blog as a gift.
reemski
I know blurb is the best. am working through trying to figure out whether to offer it for sale on blurb as well for non australian readers or just ship from australia. watch this space
hi rebecca
glad you’re looking forward to the book. still working through the details on printing costs so haven’t finalised the pricing yet. will have to get back to you on that
thanks daniel.
you say the nicest things.
self publishing really is the best in terms of artistic control
kathy
great that you’re thinking about self publishing. not sure that I know that much but happy to help if I can. Can you pls email me some details about your location and I’ll see what I can do.
thanks ali
I’m really excited about how it’s looking. I just hope it lives up to expectations
I for one cannot wait to have a book of your recipes I can hold and idle over..
Exciting and just wonderful.
Here’s to the love being freeeeeeeeee
x
thanks rachel
I’m really excited and a little scared.
The only thing is that the recipes are more my mum’s so a lot more homestyle than the usual stonesoup fare.
they’re more like family recipes – lovely and comforting and simple and good
love the twist on the book name. hadn’t thought of it like that but it adds another dimension.
Hi Julie
What a great book have purchased 2 for the Gunning Library (local author)
I think this book looks really good andit seems so fitting to honour your mother in this way.
Everybody must have their own versuin of “spag bol” it’s such a good stabndby. Personally I love the way the Italians use herbs so often in their recipes but I would say that oregano is best dried as the flavour is better, marjoram is a close relative but a gentler sweeter herb. I dom’t think I’d bother using both. Now Basil is hte king of herbs and really makes you dish stand out.
Did you know Basil is blackened by contact with metal so it’s best to tear it rather than chop.
Also Crush dried oregano lightly in your hands before adding to dishes to activate its essential oils, and for the best taste add it near the end of cooking (which applies to most herbs)
Oh I want your book so badly Clance! Please let me buy one (or two).
P.S you sound so happy.
That’s a great looking bowl of spaghetti!
hi authentic italian food
thanks for taking the time to comment. agree on the similarity of oregano and marjoam but mum grew both in her garden and she didn’t like to play favourites which is why she used both. I’ve put them both in as optional because I agree with you about basil being the king.
I had heard that it was better to tear basil rather than chop but didn’t know why so thanks for enlightening me.
And thanks for the tip about the dried oregano.
Em. You’re the best. Thanks for the support
thanks amateur in the kitchen.
ooh pretty pretty. and i love the whiteness and narrowness here–i feel very tall skinny and narrow on this page :P
Congratulations Jules, I bet your Mum would be proud and honoured. It’s such a lovely thing to do.
Really looking forward to checking it out :)
thanks for dropping by mallory. I love the thought that you feel tall and skinny when you visit stonesoup
thanks chirstie,
I think she would like it
I love blurb! I created a book out of my 4 week trip to New york a couple of years back for my 30th birthday. it’s a shame the currency isn’t so good as I was surprised at the quality of the books. They’re quite beautiful..if you have one on blurb I’d be happy to buy from there!
Congrats on the book! It looks great and the photos are amazing! I just ate my lunch but am all of a sudden hungry again.
Oh I am so excited. I look forward to seeing the book. I am always lookign for family friendly recipes. How much do you think you will sell them for?
Your photography is so excellent that I think it’s all the better that you plan to include more photos rather than less. I guess that’s yet another benefit of self-publishing. You get to make all the decisions.
Congrats on your hard work coming to fruition!!
Dan
Casual Kitchen
Hi Jules
Grreat idea to self publsih. Are you willing to advise on self publishing? I am keen to self publish, but don’t really know where to start or even where to start to collect the information required.
Thanks
Kathy
Oh i am so excited. I can not wait to get my hands on a copy and I know it will be absolutely gorgeous. Your photos and writing have always been so full of life. I can not wait to be able to give your beautiful blog as a gift.
reemski
I know blurb is the best. am working through trying to figure out whether to offer it for sale on blurb as well for non australian readers or just ship from australia. watch this space
hi rebecca
glad you’re looking forward to the book. still working through the details on printing costs so haven’t finalised the pricing yet. will have to get back to you on that
thanks daniel.
you say the nicest things.
self publishing really is the best in terms of artistic control
kathy
great that you’re thinking about self publishing. not sure that I know that much but happy to help if I can. Can you pls email me some details about your location and I’ll see what I can do.
thanks ali
I’m really excited about how it’s looking. I just hope it lives up to expectations
I for one cannot wait to have a book of your recipes I can hold and idle over..
Exciting and just wonderful.
Here’s to the love being freeeeeeeeee
x
thanks rachel
I’m really excited and a little scared.
The only thing is that the recipes are more my mum’s so a lot more homestyle than the usual stonesoup fare.
they’re more like family recipes – lovely and comforting and simple and good
love the twist on the book name. hadn’t thought of it like that but it adds another dimension.
Hi Julie
What a great book have purchased 2 for the Gunning Library (local author)