5 Meals Using Leftover Bolognese Sauce

Simmering pot of bolognese sauce

Spaghetti bolognese is a very popular dish in my house. The kids like how it tastes, and I like how I can eke a few meals out of a few inexpensive ingredients, making it a very useful for frugal cooking. I also like that I can slip a few extra veggies in but I don't tell the boys that.

Invariably, I always cook about twice as much sauce as we need for one meal. This isn't a bad thing because a bolognese sauce can be used for so much more than just ladling on spaghetti.

1. Lasagne

I use the exact same sauce for a lasagne that I use for a spaghetti bolognese.

You will need:

• Box of non-cook lasagne sheets - these can be layered in the sauce and don't need to be pre-cooked. 
• Tub of ricotta cheese
• Ball of mozarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh herbs - thyme, basil, and oregano (if you can find them, otherwise dried will work)
• Milk
• Black pepper to season

Method:

• Place the ricotta, a tablespoon or so of grated parmesan, a bit of grund black pepper, and the finely chopped fresh herbs (or dried) into a bowl. Add just enough milk to loosen the cheese enough to spread easily. 
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• Ladle a small amount of sauce into a casserole dish. Cover over with the lasagne sheets, spoon a bit more sauce over the top. Add a layer of the ricotta mixture. Then repeat with sheets, sauce and ricotta. 
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• Finish up with a layer of sauce over the top then shred the mozzarella and spread that plus another tablespoon or so of grated parmesan over the top.
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• Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Bake the lasagne for about 30 - 45 minutes, until it is hot and bubbling, and the cheese is melted and browned across the top.

 2. Pasta bake

Similar to a lasagne, but without the fuss of layering.

You will need:

• Cooked pasta - I use farfalle or penne, but anything you have in the cupboard would work.
• Mozzarella or a combination of favourite cheeses
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method:

• Cook the pasta, drain and combine with the sauce. 
• Stir in chunks of cheese
• Spoon into a casserole dish and sprinkle the top over with parmesan, if desired. 
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350f/180c/gas mark 4 for about 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the dish is hot and bubbling. 

3. Pizza

A quick meal that can be as easy or as complicated as you desire.

Home made pizza

You will need:

• Pizza bases, make your own or buy ready-made
• Favourite grated cheeses
• Assorted meats and vegetables for toppings
• Fresh thyme and basil, roughly chopped
• Ground black pepper
• Olive oil

Method:

• Place the base on a baking sheet
• Spoon some of the sauce and spread over the pizza base. 
• Add on any toppings you want
• Add on a bit of cheese
• Sprinkle over some of the fresh herbs, a bit of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350f/180c/gas mark 4 for about 10 - 15 minutes. 

For an even quicker, child-friendly, mini-pizza lunch idea, spoon a bit of the heated sauce over slices of bread (I will sometimes use a round cutter to create rounds of bread, add a bit of cheese, and tuck under a medium-hot grill for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

4. Jacket potato

This makes a nice lunch-time meal, or a simple mid-week evening meal

You will need:

• Baking potato, one per person
• Favourite cheese, optional

Method:

• Bake whole potatoes in the oven or microwave until soft inside
• Spoon over some of the heated sauce, and sprinke with a bit of cheese if desired. 
• Serve with a fresh salad

 

5. Omelette

This works equally well for any meal in the day.


You will need:

• Eggs
• Butter
• Cheese

Method:

• Whisk 2- 3 eggs until frothy, add in a touch of milk if desired
• Melt butter in a skillet over a medium-high heat
• Pour in the egg mixture and let cook untilnearly set all the way through
• As the eggs cook, gently lift at the sides to allow more of the uncooked egg to run underneath.
• When nearly cooked through, spoon some of the heated sauce over one half of the omelett, sprinkle over some of the cheese. 
• Fold the other half of the egg over the sauce and serve immediately
• You can have this as is for breakfast or brunch, or add a green salad for a complete lunch-time or evening meal.

Pizza Night

Designer Pizza

Saturday night at home I plan on making some sort of Italian dish most weeks. Generally, this means spaghetti bolognaise as that is what my picky eaters like best. Sometimes though, just for fun, we make our own pizzas.

Since we each have our own idea of what makes the perfect pizza, we each get to make our own. It's a great way to have fun in the kitchen and encourage kids to cook.

I make a bread dough

500gm strong bread flour
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoons sugar
1 packet dried yeast
Warm water (about 250 - 300ml)

1. Mix bread flour flour with a pinch of salt, 1 packet yeast, & 1 tsp sugar. Pour in warm water, a bit at a time, until a firm, soft dough is formed.
2. Knead 5 min, adding more flour if needed. 
3. Place in a clean bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.
4. Divide into portions
5. Roll each out to desired thickness.

Once rolled out, I spoon a layer of tomato sauce over the dough and let the boys decorate their own pizza.

I don't get fancy with the pizza sauce. I use a plain passata, or one with Italian herbs. Spoon a bit of that on each pizza and you're good to go.

We set out a selection of pizza toppings.




A variety of sliced meats - pepperoni, sausage, salami.
A variety of vegetables - sliced red onion, peppers, mushrooms, olives, sweetcorn.
A variety of cheeses - mozzarella, parmigiano, goat's cheese (for me)
Extra bits - balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh or drief herbs

And then, we create!

Pizza Night

The boys each have their own style.

Thing 1 gets creative and makes patterns and designs with his pizza. He tends to be a little carnivore and lately only wants meat on his.

Thing 2 also likes to make designs, but uses less meat and adds a few veggies to his pizza.

I like a lot of veggies, and not much meat these days. I especially like putting soft goat's cheese, red onions, and balsamic vinegar on mine.

The pizzas are then topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of black pepper and salt.

Bake at GM 7/ 220C for 10 - 15 minutes