Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

A weeknight Spaghetti Bolognese recipe that is rich, filling, and hearty. Ready in about 45 minutes, this simplified Italian pasta dish delivers big flavors in little time.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 623kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large or 2 small onion, chopped
1- pound ground beef 85% 15%
1 28 ounces can of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 sprig of thyme tied in a bundle
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh basil roughly chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
1 pound (16 oz.) dried spaghetti or linguini

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven (or any other heavy bottom pot) in medium heat. Add onion. Cook until wilted, 7-9 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
Add in the ground beef. Using a wooden spoon break it into smaller chunks. Cook, stirring frequently, until it is browned, 7-8 minutes.
Add the garlic, dried oregano, bundle thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, red wine, and chicken stock. Give everything a stir. Bring it to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, put the lid on, and let it to cook for 20-25 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on its package. *Please read the Pro Tip below*
Once the spaghetti is ready, drain it in a colander.
Discard the thyme bundle and the bay leaf from the Bolognese sauce.
Add drained pasta into the sauce. Stir it all together making sure that the pasta is generously coated with the sauce.
Stir in the fresh basil and top it off with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serve.

Video

Notes

VARIATIONS:

Pork and Beef: Substitute half the ground beef with an equal amount of ground pork. To really bring out the pork flavor, before cooking the onions, render 4 oz of diced pancetta or bacon in the Dutch oven until browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon, pour off all but 2 Tablespoons of the pork fat, omit the vegetable oil and begin making the bolognese sauce recipe. Add the pancetta or bacon back in when you add the remaining herbs and seasonings.
With Cream: Once you remove the spaghetti bolognese from the heat, stir in ½ cup of room temperature heavy cream for a smooth, luxurious sauce.
Without Wine: Replace the wine with an equal amount of chicken or beef stock. Remember the beef stock will produce a richer, meatier flavor.
With Worcestershire Sauce: Adding 1-2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce will give you a rich bolognese sauce. It’s a secret tip that gives this sauce that extra bit of zing!
With Jar Sauce: Replace the diced tomatoes and tomato paste with a large jar of your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce.
PRO TIP: Cook the pasta shy of one minute according to package directions, reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water, drain and add the pasta to the pot with the sauce. This is the secret to restaurant-quality pasta! The pasta will continue cooking in the pot with the sauce, releasing it’s natural starch and sticking to the sauce. The reserved cooking water is there for insurance, just in case you need to adjust the sauce’s consistency.

Nutrition