Mary Berry’s bolognese recipe includes uncommon ingredient for creaminess and thickness

can differ widely, influenced by factors such as personal taste, tradition, and dietary requirements.

In a video, cooking legend revealed her own “delicious” version of this classic , promising that adding an extra ingredient will make it truly exceptional.

With her straightforward and simple cooking method, the former Great British Bake Off star guarantees a and creamy texture.

Mary said: “After two hours, the meat will have soaked up all those rich flavours, and it will melt in the mouth….I can quite understand why bolognese is one of our great British everyday favourites; it’s certainly one of mine.”

This should serve six people and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare but needs two hours to slowly cook to let the meat tenderise.

Mary Berry’s bolognese recipe

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 500g of pork mince
• 500g of beef mince
• 500g of passata
• 400g of chopped tomatoes
• 200ml of beef stock
• 150ml of wine
• Two chopped onions
• Two sticks of chopped celery
• One large chopped carrot
• Three crushed garlic cloves
• Three tablespoons of sundried tomato paste
• Four tablespoons of double cream
• Two tablespoons of chopped thyme leaves
• Four bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to serve

For the pasta

• 450g of pappadelle pasta
• Salt for the pasta water

To serve

• Paraman cheese
• Basil leaves to garnish

Method

Start by preheating your oven to 160°C (gas mark 3) or 140°C if you’re using a fan oven. In a large pot, heat some oil and toss in your chopped carrots, celery, and onions. Sauté them over high heat for about five minutes, or until they begin to soften.

Add the ground pork and beef to the pot and continue cooking on high heat until the meat is browned. Mary explained that combining both types of meat creates a rich, deep flavour, a technique inspired by Italian cooking traditions.

She also mentioned that the meat might clump together, so it’s a good idea to use two wooden spatulas to break it up and stir the ingredients well.

Next, add crushed garlic to the pot and cook for around 30 seconds until fragrant. Then, stir in the tomato paste, allowing it to blend into the sauce.

Once the tomato paste is well incorporated, pour in the beef stock, chopped tomatoes, and passata. Give everything a good stir, allowing the mixture to simmer and bubble.

Now, stir in your choice of wine (white or red—Mary prefers white), herbs, salt, and pepper. She noted that either white or red wine works, depending on what you have on hand.

For the next step, Mary recommends slow-cooking the bolognese in the oven to achieve a richer flavour. She explained: “Most people cook bolognese on the hob, but I have a good tip that will make the most tender, deeply flavoured bolognese that you have ever tasted…It really does bring out the flavour of all the ingredients.”

Bake the bolognese for an hour, then take it out and add Mary’s secret touch: stir in some double cream. She clarified: “Don’t worry, it doesn’t curdle or anything like that, it just enriches it. What I want to end up with is a fairly thick mixture.”

Return the pot to the oven for another hour, leaving the lid off. After two hours in total, the meat should be tender and the sauce beautifully thickened.

While the bolognese finishes cooking, fill a pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Add your pasta and cook until tender, then drain it.

Mary recommends pairing the sauce with a thicker pasta, like pappardelle, rather than a thin pasta like spaghetti, which is less traditional for this hearty meat sauce.

Finally, plate the pasta and top with the bolognese sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and a few basil leaves for a perfect finish.