Spaghetti bolognese is a classic dish in many households, but there’s one controversial ingredient you can add to the sauce to give it more “depth” without increasing the cooking time
14:35, 12 Jan 2026Updated 14:36, 12 Jan 2026
Spaghetti bolognese could be improved by one bizarre item (stock photo)(Image: Cris Cantón via Getty Images)
Spaghetti bolognese is a go-to favourite in countless homes across Britain. It’s fairly straightforward to rustle up and can be knocked together pretty swiftly when you’re scrambling for a weeknight dinner after a long day at the office.
In its authentic Italian form, this beloved dish would traditionally bubble away for hours on end to coax out every last drop of flavour from the veg and mince. The proper method sees onions, carrots, and celery gently softened in butter until they turn translucent, before the meat and tomatoes are added to the pot and the mixture is slowly cooked for two to four hours until you’ve got a gloriously thick ragu.
But let’s be realistic – when you’re dashing home from work, hanging about for four hours whilst your sauce does its thing simply isn’t on the cards. This is precisely why home cooks beyond Italy’s borders started taking shortcuts, slashing the prep time down to roughly 30 minutes – absolutely spot-on for those frantic midweek moments.
The trouble is, when you hack several hours off the cooking time, you’re inevitably going to notice a massive difference in taste. The bolognese most of us are accustomed to whipping up falls well short of the rich, luxurious traditional Italian original, and that hastily browned mince we chuck in a pan doesn’t deliver that melt-in-your-mouth magic it should.
However, there’s one particular ingredient you can slip into your bolognese to give it extra “depth” without extending the cooking time. Fair warning though – even seasoned professional chefs have declared this divisive addition has “no business” being anywhere near a bolognese.
The dish was crafted by Genevieve Ko and earned a spot amongst the New York Times’ 50 finest recipes of 2025.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
It was then showcased on TikTok by nutritionist and home cook Ryan Miller, who’d set himself the challenge of preparing every single one of the 50 featured dishes from the article.
Genevieve’s creation landed at number nine on the prestigious list, though Ryan issued a warning before diving in that it “uses one ingredient that has no business being here”.
The method started conventionally enough, with Ryan browning his beef mince before introducing finely diced onion and carrot, seasoning the lot with salt and pepper. Once these components had “caramelised in the beef fat”, Ryan proceeded to the “controversial” element – stirring in red curry paste.
He explained: “It won’t taste like curry, it just adds instant depth that you wouldn’t normally get in this short cook.”
Following the curry paste integration, he incorporated tomatoes before covering the pan to let the mixture bubble away. Meanwhile, he prepared pasta in bubbling water following the packet guidelines.
To finish, he combined the drained pasta with the bolognese sauce and stirred through some cream – an addition that several commenters found equally as divisive as the curry paste twist.
Genevieve Ko’s creamy weeknight bolognese recipe
This dish boasts a five-star rating on the New York Times website with over 4,000 reviews. It requires just 10 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking time, bringing the total to a mere 35 minutes – ideal for a midweek supper.
Ingredients (serves four to six)
1lb (450g) ground beef mince1 large onion, finely chopped2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped2-3 tbsp red curry paste1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes or passata1lb (450g) of your pasta of choice1 cup (240ml) double cream
Method
Kick off by setting a large pot of water on the boil for your pasta. As it’s warming up, get a large pan sizzling over high heat and toss in your beef mince. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then let it brown for about 4-5 minutes.
Push the mince to one side and pop the onion and carrot onto the other half of the pan. Give the veg a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and fry until the onion turns see-through. Blend the meat and veg, then stir in the curry paste. Genevieve suggests two tablespoons for a gentle kick, or three if you’re after a bit more fire in your dish.
Next, tumble in the tomatoes and a dash of water. Give it a good stir, let it bubble up, then dial down the heat to low and let it simmer while your pasta does its thing.
Tip your chosen pasta (Genevieve opts for a short, twisty type like macaroni or pipette) into the boiling water and cook until it’s al dente. Once done, drain off the water and mix the pasta into the sauce. Swirl the cream through the saucy pasta and add an extra shake of seasoning if needed.
Dining and Cooking