A fusion of flavours, this Hong Kong style Chinese Bolognese is a bowl of comfort! Usually sold in 茶餐廳/Hong Kong style cafes, you’re going to want to give this twist on bolognese a try!
What is Chinese “Bolognese”?
A 茶餐廳 or a cha chaan teng is a type of restaurant commonly found in Hong Kong, Macau and parts of Guangdong. In English, it translates to pretty much Hong Kong Style Cafes.
In a way, they were like the OG fast food as the food was viewed as “cheap western food.” When you first look at the menu, it might seem like an odd mishmash but the menu and budget friendly pricing for the meals are rooted in Hong Kong being under British influence. They would serve tea with milk in it, little sandwiches, cakes, macaroni soup, french toast, and more western styled foods but made with an Asian twist.
Growing up in Toronto, there were plenty of these HK styled cafes to choose from if you were willing to head up to the Markham/Richmond Hill area. I had found it kind of odd at first but grew to enjoy it. One of my favourite fusion dishes they’d serve would be a spaghetti bolognese. It was also something my family would make. Being immigrants, they weren’t exactly well-versed in western cuisine so we would usually get a fusion of sorts.
To me, just like regular bolognese, this HK styled one is hearty, meaty, and pretty much comfort in a bowl! However, instead of the regular pasta sauce, we’ve got ingredients such as hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. I KNOW. Just trust me on it. H ate two huge bowls so we’re going to say it was a hit ;)
What You’ll Need to Make This Asian Styled Bolognese
- pasta: usually this is made with spaghetti but because I have a huge container of mafalda pasta, that’s what I went with.
- ground beef
- salt
- garlic powder
- hoisin sauce
- soy sauce — I recommend low sodium
- oyster sauce
- tomato paste
- sesame oil — toasted sesame oil or pure sesame oil is fine for this recipe
- beef stock
- frozen peas: or fresh, up to you
How To Make This Bolognese Fusion Recipe
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook according to the instructions on the bag but be sure to pull it out 1-2 minutes before al dente.
- In a large wok on medium heat, add in the ground beef, season with salt and garlic powder, and brown the beef. Next, add in the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato paste, and sesame oil, stir to combine.
- Add the beef stock to the meat sauce and let it simmer until slightly thick, about 10 minutes.
- While the meat sauce is simmering, drain the pasta.
- After 10 minutes, add the pasta and peas to the meat sauce, toss to coat.
- Once done, serve or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Tips and Notes on Making This HK style Bolognese Recipe
- I love this Zwilling pot for making pasta as the fine-meshed stainless steel basket makes draining the pasta a breeze.
- Tagliatelle, pappardelle, or spaghetti is a good pasta alternative to Mafalda, this simple beef and peas pasta recipe can be made with any type of pasta. That’s the beauty of these fusion recipes.
- Traditionally, there’s Chinese Sweet Bean Sauce and Shaoxing wine involved but I skipped those ingredients as they’re a little harder to find than the other ingredients used here. It took a while for me to find Shaoxing wine here after I moved!
Hong Kong style Chinese Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 cups pasta
- 1 lbs ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cup beef stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook according to the instructions on the bag but be sure to pull it out 1-2 minutes before al dente.
- In a large wok on medium heat, add in the ground beef, season with salt and garlic powder, and brown the beef. Next, add in the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato paste, and sesame oil, stir to combine.
- Add in the beef stock to the meat sauce and let it simmer until slightly thick, about 10 minutes.
- While the meat sauce is simmering, drain the pasta.
- After the 10 minutes, add in the pasta and peas to the meat sauce, toss to coat.
- Once done, serve or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR MEAL PREPPING
- How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
- What Is An Instant Pot
- Tips To Help You Meal Prep For The Week Successfully
- Tips for Meal Prepping on a Budget
- 7 Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades
- 5 Freezer Friendly Marinades
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
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Email: [email protected]
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