C/O Joshua Zuckerman

Feeding yourself on a student budget is difficult. It can be especially hard to find affordable meals that produce lots of portions. This Bolognese sauce recipe was made with student budgets in mind.

Our chefs this week have worked hard to create a recipe that removes dinner time stress from people's plates (pardon the pun), without sacrificing quality. Not only can it be made for under $20, but it can produce up to eight portions.

The Chefs: Matt Dunbar and Michael Abbott

Matt Dunbar and Michael Abbott spent the last 10 years building up their successful catering business, No Small Feast. But despite catering events for organizations such as Spotify, Microsoft and BMW as well as foreign dignitaries, they weren’t pandemic-proof.

The dynamic duo pivoted their business to survive during the pandemic. They launched Provisions, a frozen upscale comfort food line for home delivery to the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area.

The Recipe: Bolognese Sauce

Description:

This is the black-tie version of a classic Bolognese sauce. Even though you can make this recipe for under $20, it will taste like you need to add a few more zeros to the price tag. Makes easily enough for four portions, and another four that live in the freezer for another day. Add any pasta you would like or have in your kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 100 g button mushroom
• 2 lb ground beef  (lean)
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1300 ml passata or pureed tomatoes (canned)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 very small pinch cinnamon
• 1 bunch of basil

Directions:

1. Brown meat in a pan medium heat until you hear it start to sizzle and it sticks to the bottom
2. Remove meat from pan, add all vegetables and cook until onions are translucent, approx. 7-10 minutes, then add tomato paste, cook for another 2-4 minutes.
3. Add wine and reduce until almost fully reduced, approximately 7-10 minutes.
4. Add meat back into the pot, add milk and reduce by half, approximately 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt
6. Simmer 90 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking on the bottom.
7. Finish sauce with chopped basil.  
8. If you really want to impress, drizzle some white truffle oil over the finished sauce when serving.