Ruth Langsford has shared her ‘fabulous’ recipe for a classic spag bol, which includes a ‘secret ingredient’ that can give the dish a ‘really deep flavour’

Ruth Langsford swears by her mother’s recipe when making spaghetti bolognese(Image: Tim P. Whitby/Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

Ruth Langsford has dished up her go-to spaghetti bolognese recipe, and it’s got a twist that might raise a few eyebrows. The Loose Women star swears by an unexpected ‘secret ingredient’ for this Italian classic, promising it delivers a ‘really deep flavour’.

Posting to Instagram yesterday, she said: “Hi everybody, well, I’m in the kitchen today, hence the wooden spoon. I’m going to make a spag bol. This is my mum’s recipe, and I know you might roll your eyes, ‘But we all know how to make spag bol, Ruth.’

“Some people go, ‘Oh, I never put mushrooms, I love mushrooms, celery [yuck]’. And I’ve just adapted it to my own little fabulous recipe. So, let’s get cooking.”

Ruth kicked off her recipe by grabbing chopped onions from her freezer and sizzling them in a heated frying pan. Next, she tossed in a pack of minced beef, breaking up any clumps with a large fork.

“If you have lumps, look, I’ve got this great thing. A big fork, because you don’t want a big lumpy spag bol, do you?” Ruth said, before popping a blob of both garlic and tomato puree into the pan.

She continued: “And then cook that off before you put anything else in. Tomatoes, red oxo cube diluted [and the] secret ingredient.” Brace yourselves, Ruth’s unconventional addition to the dish is instant coffee granules.

While you might assume this would give your meal an unwanted bitterness, Ruth insists this isn’t the case. In fact, she’s been serving this dish to her 23-year-old son, Jack Holmes, for years, despite his disliking to the caffeinated drink.

“I think it gives it a really deep flavour, it doesn’t taste of coffee,” she added. “So, Jack, just to let you know, I’ve always put coffee in your spag bowl, darling. And you don’t like coffee.”

Moving on, Ruth added ‘lots of’ dried basil and bay leaves for even more flavour. She then popped a lid on top of the pan and simmered this at a low heat for ‘an hour-and-a-half ish’.

Ruth’s unconventional addition to the dish is instant coffee granules(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Wicked London Production Ltd)

“But don’t forget my little added secret ingredient is the coffee,” the 65-year-old said while finishing up her recipe. In the caption, she also summarised: “No strict measurements here… I just go by eye, taste as I go, and trust my instincts.

“I know some people swear by red wine, fancy stock, or simmering for hours… but I keep it simple, hearty and full of flavour… just how we like it.

“I always use frozen, chopped onions….game changer! Makes it so much quicker and no runny eyes! Nothing posh, nothing fiddly… just proper comfort food for a busy weeknight.”

Unsurprisingly, Ruth’s recipe was flooded with comments from fans who swear by other secret ingredients when making spaghetti bolognese. One person wrote: “Looks delicious I add Worcestershire sauce and Marmite to mine,” as someone else chimed in: “I add pancetta and balsamic vinegar to mine.”

Meanwhile, another added: “My secret ingredient is milk after you put the meat in, I feel it bulks the meat out and makes it tender.”