If you don't know who Buddy Oliver is, perhaps you've heard of his famous dad, Jamie. Based on that fact alone, we feel pretty confident that he knows his way around a pot of bolognese. The addition of grated zucchini is a sneaky and delicious way to get more veg into fussy eaters. It also bulks up this bolognese, making it extra hearty and satisfying.

Ingredients

2 pork sausages
olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 large carrot
1 stalk of celery
1 zucchini
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
1 x 28-oz can of whole tomatoes
1 heaping teaspoon tomato paste
1 lb of your favorite dried pasta
Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions

  1. Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to warm up.
  2. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings.
  3. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pot, add the ground beef and sausage meat, breaking everything up with a spoon as you go, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  4. Peel the onions and garlic, trim the carrot, celery and zucchini, then coarsely grate all the vegetables on a box grater, finely grating the garlic. Scrape into the pot, then turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the balsamic glaze, then use your hands to crush in the tomatoes (or pour in and break up with a spoon as you go). Fill the can halfway with water, swirl around to pick up the last bits of tomato and pour it into the pot.
  6. Stir in the tomato paste and a pinch of black pepper, mash everything up with the spoon, then turn down the heat to low and cook for 1 hour, or until thickened slightly.
  7. About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water following the package instructions, then drain, reserving a generous cupful of starchy cooking water.
  8. Carefully add the pasta to the sauce and stir well over the heat, loosening with a splash of pasta water, if needed. Divide between serving bowls and finish with a good grating of Parmesan.

Excerpted from Let’s Cook by Buddy Oliver published by Appetite © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited. Recipe photography © David Loftus & Paul Stuart, 2025. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.