Spaghetti bolognaise was one of the first meals Nathan Lyons learnt to cook as a kid.
Since then, he's gone viral on TikTok and published his own cookbook, sharing budget-friendly recipes from his home in Moranbah in central Queensland.
And he's still cooking bolognaise.
"In my family growing up ,we had it quite a lot because it's a cheap eat. My kids love it now too," the Kooking with a koori creator says.
For him, one of the best things about the dish is its versatility; you can change the ingredients based on what's on special or in your fridge to make this cheap eat even cheaper.
To make spag bol – because as Nathan says, "spag bog sounds like you're doing a number two" – go further, here are some tips.
Swap and bulk out classic ingredients
Mince meat
Grace Manning, an accredited practicing dietitian who works on healthy eating website No Money No Time, says mince meat is the most expensive ingredient in spaghetti bolognaise.
However, she struggles with iron deficiency, so red meat is an important part of her diet.
She makes her dish with half mince, half lentils, which makes the meal go further, and adds a nutritional boost.
Nicole Constable, who leads OzHarvest's Nutrition Education Skills Training (NEST) program, also recommends adding a can of legumes to bulk it out, and says red kidney beans or even chickpeas can work well too.
Given how tasty bolognaise is, she says you (or your fussy kids or partner) are unlikely to even notice them.
If beef mince is pricey at the supermarket, Nathan recommends swapping it out for chicken or even kangaroo mince.
Ms Manning adds that turkey mince can work well too, and given these types of mince are less popular, they're often on sale.
Pasta
Ms Manning says another way to make your meal go further and boost the nutritional value is by increasing the fibre content.
This can be done by using a high fibre variety of pasta and by adding more veg, leaving you with more leftovers, as "you won't have to eat as much to get full".
Tomato sauce
Ms Manning says making sauce from scratch can be cheaper than buying it in a jar "if you do it the right way".
"Usually – and this is not just with spaghetti bol – a healthy diet is cheaper than one that's full of highly processed foods and drinks."
Ms Constable tends to only buy pasta sauces when they're on special, as they can be expensive and some brands contain sugars and preservatives.
She says canned diced tomatoes offer a similar level of convenience at a low price, or she sometimes opts for a bag of discounted fresh tomatoes.
For flavour, adding onion, dried herbs and garlic work great. Both Ms Constable and Ms Manning are big fans of the jarred garlic you store in the fridge, to keep things simple and cheap.
Beef or veggie stock can also add flavour (but be wary of the salt content), or Nathan's a fan of sprinkling chilli in bolognaise "to add a bit of a kick".
He adds that if you do use jar sauce, whether for cost or convenience, "you do you boo, and no one's going to judge you" – it's still a cheaper and healthier option than fast food or takeaway.
Veggies
Just like lentils, veggies are a great way to bulk up your meal and make it go further.
Grated carrot, celery and zucchini all work, and it's a good idea to look at which vegetables are in season or on sale – recently Ms Manning found a kilo of carrots for $1 at the shops.
Where Nathan lives, fresh veg can be expensive, "especially in the wet season when the roads close and the trucks can't get through".
If this is the case where you are, remember that frozen and canned veggies have around the same nutritional value, and you're unlikely to taste the difference once they're mixed into a sauce.
Ms Constable recommends adding pre-cut frozen veggie mixes, frozen spinach or broccoli portions, or canned carrot, mushrooms or corn.
Think about sides
Ms Manning says serving your dish with a side salad can help it go further and get you eating extra veg. The greater variety of vegetables you include (rather than just a couple of different types), the more you'll benefit.
If you like to top your dish with cheese, grated parmesan isn't your only option – Nathan says grating a block of tasty cheese yourself tastes just as good.
Cook in bulk
One of the easiest ways to save money when cooking is to make large quantities – either by adding extra beans and veggies, cooking a double batch, or both.
Spag bol makes great school lunches, or if you have the freezer space, a ready-to-eat future dinner.
You could also just buy your mince in bulk, and use it for other meals like tacos and hamburgers throughout the week, and freeze whatever you don't use.
To spice up your leftovers, Ms Constable is a big fan of the spag bol jaffle. Or, by adding some bolognaise to a brekkie fried egg, you'll have yourself a shakshuka.
OzHarvest have a tasty spag bol recipe on their website, complete with large servings and coming in around $1.80 a portion.
ABC Everyday in your inbox
Get our newsletter for the best of ABC Everyday each week