A Parmesan rind added to spaghetti bolognese deepens the flavour and gives the sauce a silkier mouthfeel, according to a food writer who says she will never make the dish without it again.
Sophie Harris, Senior Audience Writer for Spare Time, regularly makes slow-cooker spaghetti bolognese using an adapted version of Poppy Cooks’ recipe. The standard recipe uses both pork and beef mince, but Harris says the Parmesan rind is the ingredient that makes it even tastier.
How the rind improves the sauce
The rind slowly releases flavour throughout the cooking process, deepening the taste of the sauce. It also contains collagen-like proteins that melt gently, giving the sauce a silkier, rounder mouthfeel. This helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and the wine without adding too much of a cheesy or dairy flavour.
Harris notes that the same results can be achieved without slow-cooking. Adding the rind to a bolognese simmering on the hob will yield similar results.
Slow cooker bolognese recipe
The recipe calls for 500g pork mince, 500g beef mince, one large onion finely diced, two celery sticks finely diced, three tablespoons of tomato puree, a 400g can of chopped tomatoes, 200ml red wine, 200ml beef stock, half a teaspoon of sugar, two bay leaves, one Parmesan rind, a splash of olive oil, 100ml whole milk, 300g spaghetti, and one tablespoon of cornflour slackened with water.
To make it, add the pork, beef, onions, carrots, celery, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, red wine, stock, sugar, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, one teaspoon of salt, lots of pepper, and a splash of olive oil to the slow cooker bowl. Slow-cook on low for eight to 10 hours, stirring once or twice. With one hour left, stir in the milk. When 30 minutes remain, add the spaghetti and turn the heat to high.
Finishing and storage tips
Harris sometimes boils the spaghetti separately, but once the meat is fully cooked, she stirs in the cornflour slurry and adds plenty of olive oil. The result is a glossy, delicious bolognese. For hob cooking, simply add the Parmesan rind while the sauce is simmering, though Harris says a slow cooker is the best way to get the most succulent meat.
Parmesan rinds can be kept in the fridge, but Harris also freezes them so they last even longer.
