This dish had me hunt for it from one Italian restaurant to another while in India. I also remember specific restaurants where I used to love this spaghetti so much that I used to travel for 2 hrs just to get a taste of it.

Finally I landed up in a place and a lockdown when I had to learn how to make this at home as best as possible and as close to the taste that I love. After a few attempts at the sauce finally I reached close 😊.

I did not have basil leaves with me. That would have added to the taste. If you can get basil leaves fresh or dried please do add that. So here we go.

Ingredients:

Cooking Spaghetti

– Half a packet of spaghetti (which came to about 3-4 servings)

– 1 tbsp salt

– water as per packet instructions

– few drops of olive oil about 1 tsp

For Bolognese sauce

– 2 big onions finely chopped

– 10 button mushrooms chopped small

– 4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped

– 1.5 big tomato finely chopped

– 1.5 big tomato pureed ( I sometimes add half a carrot to the puree as well)

– 2 tbsp finely chopped celery greens

– salt to taste

– 1 tsp crushed black pepper or white pepper powder

– 1 tbsp oregano or mixed herbs

– 2 tbsp olive oil

– 1 tbsp red chilli flakes

For Aglio e Olio twist

– 2 tbsp olive oil + 1tsp salt + 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper + 3-4 finely chopped garlic

Optional

– Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Recipe :

1. Boil the spaghetti in a saucepan filled with water and added with salt. Ensure that the water tastes slightly salty before you add the spaghetti. Do not break the spaghetti while adding. Lay the spaghetti sticks to one side of the saucepan and as you see the bottom portion that is dipped in water cook keep pushing the rest of the spaghetti down till all the spaghetti get immersed in water. Cook till the spaghetti are done.

Drain the spaghetti and rinse below cold water for a minute. Reserve the starchy water for later use after draining.

2. For the sauce – In a non-stick pan add about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is hot add the chopped garlic. Fry for a minute then add the chopped onions and fry till they sweat. Then add the mushrooms and fry for about 2-3 minutes.

Then add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato puree. Add the salt, black pepper, oregano, chilli flakes, mixed herbs and the celery greens. Mix and fry everything till the tomatoes start leaving oil or bubbling.

3. Once the tomatoes are cooked add the reserved starchy water of the spaghetti to the sauce. Add 1 cup and adjust more as per the amount of sauce you need. Mix everything and check for salt and spice level. Add more salt, pepper or oregano as per taste. Mix well and cover and let the sauce simmer for about 10 min. The sauce will thicken a bit.

4. Aglio e Olio twist – while the Bolognese sauce gets cooked and thickens in another pan add all the ingredients for the Aglio e Olio twist as mentioned in ingredients. Fry till the garlic gets browned.

5. Now add the spaghetti to the saucepan with the Bolognese sauce. Add the Aglio e Olio and give everything a good mix. Switch off the stove and serve the spaghetti hot.

For additional taste you can add shredded cheese and bake it in the oven at 300 watt and 200 degrees centigrade for 5-7 minutes till the cheese melts and enjoy your Bolognese Spaghetti with an interesting Aglio e Olio twist to it.

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