In his new blog, How to Cheat and Not get Caught, our food editor Warren Mendes shares the secrets to cooking well without spending hours and hours at the stove. This week? It’s all about the cheats you need to make the best bolognese sauce ever. Mamma would be proud. 

There is nothing better than a slow-cooked, luscious bolognese. However, there is also no excuse to eat a bland pasta just because you are short on time. Never fear, a mid-week flavor-packed bolognese is still possible – and there are a few ways to cheat, without your partner ever finding out…

1. Caramelised onions
   The greatest bolognese hack of all! Store bought caramelised onions have done all the hard work for you. Add them to your bolognese instead of chopping and frying onions of your own. Make sure you buy a jar that is more on the savory side and not too sweet (a sweet onion jam will turn it into a bolognese dessert…).
2. Soy sauce/Worcestershire sauce/balsamic vinegar
   Soy sauce shouldn’t be restricted to Asian food. it provides a great umami kick and seasons for you as well. Use a couple of tablespoons in the sauce to balance out the flavours. Worcestershire or balsamic vinegar can also add sweetness and richness to the sauce quickly.
3. Tomato paste, and lots of it
   Tomato paste gives a rich kick to a sauce, it is the result of tomatoes being cooked down for hours, so all the hard work has been done for you. Make sure you add a lot to the pan – like 1/3 of a cup – and cook it out for a few minutes before adding your mince. Add a pinch of sugar and this will reduce the acidity too.
4. Lentils
   No, you are not turning your beloved bolognese into a vegan option, promise! Lentils add bulk and creaminess to a bolognese. Use canned lentils, rinsed and drained, then combine with mince in the pan and use a potato masher to break them up and they will add a creamy texture to the sauce. Nobody will know they are there and for a few bucks you’ve added some bulk to the sauce!
5. Chopped dried porcini
   Dried porcini isn’t cheap, but it is a fantastic way to add an umami hit to the sauce. You can soak them on hot water to rehydrate them, but if time is of the essence, then just add straight to the pan, giving them a few minutes to soak up some liquid and do their thing. Make sure you chop them up too as large pieces are not exactly pleasant to chew on.
6. Anchovies
   Before you dismiss this tip, try it for yourself. Adding a few anchovies to the sauce early on helps season the sauce and adds a rich, savoury flavor. I promise it doesn’t leave it tasting like fishy or anything – nobody will know how your sauce got such a great savoury hit, they will just blame it on your culinary genius.
7. Sausage meat
   Sausage meat already has lots of flavour packed into it and can lift up the flavours of your main meat, mince. A chopped chorizo adds great smokiness to the sauce from the paprika and a couple of pork and fennel sausages can give a beef mince mixture greater depth and much needed fat.
8. Dried herbs
   Fresh herbs are great, but dried herbs have concentrated flavour in them – plus, you will usually already have them in the cupboard! Dried oregano, basil and thyme are perfect to add to a bolognese. Try one teaspoon at a time in the early stages when you just add the meat, but don’t go too overboard as they are quite strong.

Click here for my 20-minute Bolognese recipe. Try adding some of the additional ingredients in the list above to create your own version!