Spaghetti Bolognese in 15 minutes

It’s been a week back at school for my kids and long gone are the days of leisurely dinners whenever we liked, bath times whenever (if any at all) and lazy sleep-ins. The shock hit me when it came time to cook dinner at a respectable hour so the kids could get into bed quick smart and up early for school the next day. I swear, this recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese got me dinner on the table in just 15 minutes!

If you know me by now you’ll know that I don’t like packaged or pre-made of anything, always preferring to make things by scratch but I just can’t go past the Barilla range of pasta and sauces.

I had to show you what I mean by taking a photo of the label on the bolognese sauce bottle. These are exactly the ingredients I put in my bolognese sauce, plus ground beef of course. No artificial flavours or colourings and an authentic Italian taste.

To get the ball rolling, yell at kids to get in the shower and put a pot of salted water onto boil. Start another pot and drop in a tablespoon or so of olive oil and brown the ground beef. Add the bottle of Barilla Bolognese sauce (I always half fill the jar with water, swish around and pour into the pan as not to waste a drop) and reduce the heat to simmer. By then the water should be boiling for the pasta so drop in your box of Barilla spaghetti and cook until al dente. Yell at kids not to waste water and get out of the shower because you’ll be serving up dinner in 5 minutes time.

Drain the pasta, add to the bolognese sauce (if that’s the way you prefer to eat it) and serve into bowls. Sprinkle with a little grated parmesan or any cheese you have. Dinner is served! By then the kids should be at the table ready to complain about what’s for dinner. My son will eat this until the cows come home but my fussy daughter, that’s another story. She will eat the pasta if it’s separate but I don’t even go there anymore. More for us I say! You’ll find the range of Barilla Family Favourites in the larger 540ml jar in your supermarket. I always keep a jar of Barilla in the pantry for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking because I know dinner is only 15 minutes away. Beats takeaway any time.

Disclaimer:  I was given a selection of Barilla pasta and sauces to try. All photos and opinions are my own.

Spaghetti con pollo e funghi - Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

It sounds better in Italian. This is one of those quick, throw together type meals I just love, especially on Girl Guides nights. I drop my daughter off and I’m barely home and then I have to go and get her. We usually opted for takeaway on Thursday night but that’s always expensive and the kids were eating too late.

I also like this recipe with bacon and mushrooms or just mushrooms on their own. You can use any pasta you like. I don’t have this often because I don’t often have cream in the fridge but I’m sure you could substitute the cream with evaporated skim milk, Greek yoghurt, sour cream or cream cheese.

Spaghetti con Pollo e Funghi

1 chicken breast, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely (or crushed)
2 green onions (spring onions), chopped finely
extra virgin olive oil, for frying
250ml cream
parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for serving)
salt & pepper
500gm cooked spaghetti (or pasta of choice)

1. Saute chicken in a little extra virgin olive oil until cooked. Add salt and pepper. 
2. Add mushrooms, garlic and green onions. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add cream and allow to thicken for approx 5 mins.
4. Add a handful of parmesan chicken to thicken sauce.
5. Spoon a little sauce over cooked spaghetti. After placing spaghetti in serving dish, spoon over chicken mixture and sprinkle more parmesan over the top.

I’m linking up with Keith at Chronicles of a Reluctant Housedad and hope he puts this one in his Recipe Shed.