Make the ultimate complement to your pasta with this Easy Homemade Bolognese—savory beef and vegetables in a rich tomato sauce.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 1/4 hours
Yields: 6 servings
My education into the world of pastas began with Bolognese sauce. It was the topic of Sauces 101. I was like, It’s just tomato and ground beef… how complicated can it be? Well, let me tell you.
While it may seem straightforward, Bolognese is actually quite complex. At least, if you want to make a good one. Sure, there’s beef and tomato sauce, but there’s also carrot, celery, and onions, which require just the right amount of tenderness. Overdo them and they’re as good as mush. Underdo them and you may as well use them in a salad. Plus, you need to get the flavoring right, which means the perfect balance of beef stock, Italian herbs, and Worcestershire sauce needs to be attained. What a way to break in a rookie!
Everything I learned (easily and not-so-easily) has gone into this recipe. You get to benefit from the trial and error of my early days when I sipped from so many pots, I was more sauce than water!
Which Pasta Noodle Should I Use?
While “Spaghetti Bolognese” just rolls off the tongue, you shouldn’t feel obligated to pair them every time. In fact, I prefer shorter tubes. I find them easier to eat and I like it when the sauce and meat get caught inside. Penne, ziti, or rigatoni will do nicely, as would shell pasta (a.k.a., conchigliette), which are also easy to eat and provide a nice little pocket in which to catch the sauce and ground beef.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 spears celery, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 can whole tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Italian herbs
- 2 cups beef stock
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large heavy-based skillet over MED-HIGH heat. Add the ground beef and brown for 8-10 minutes, using a spoon to break it up as it cooks.
- Remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Drizzle the rest of the olive oil in the pan. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Return the ground beef to the pan, along with the tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, beef stock, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Stir the sauce occasionally and use your spoon to break up the whole tomatoes. If the sauce is too thick, pour in a little more water or stock.
FAQs & Tips
Given the sauce needs to simmer for an hour, I’d say the sooner you get it started, the better. Making it ahead of time lets the ingredients meld and the sauce thicken. Just let it simmer away (presuming you will eat it later that day).
It is called that because it originated in the Italian town of Bologna dating back to the 18th century. Its inhabitants can’t seem to agree on one definitive version of the recipe, though they concede it should always feature ground beef, carrots, onion, and celery. Some will then say it needs red wine, while others stir up controversy (and the sauce, presumably) by suggesting milk or cream. I figure, as long as you have those basics in your pot, what you do with it beyond is entirely up to you.
Italian seasoning is a convenient way to add flavor to your sauces. While not all are the same, they should feature a variation on the following dried ingredients: thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, basil, and marjoram.
Let the sauce cool completely then store it in an airtight container. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. If you want to store it for longer, freeze it using an airtight container or a Ziploc bag for easier storage. Just make sure you remove any air bubbles and you close the bag securely or you could have a mess on your hands. You’ve got three months to use up the sauce. When you eventually do so, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. You can also reheat it from frozen using the microwave, though I sometimes find this method more trouble than it’s worth.
Welcome to the world of hands-off cooking! Without lifting a finger you are improving the quality of your meal. Do you need to let it simmer for an hour? No. It will taste fine with a shorter simmering time. Just know, though, that the longer it sits, the more the flavors will meld and the thicker the sauce will get. In other words, if you want a GOOD sauce, yes, you need to let it simmer for an hour… at least.
Serving Suggestions
Pasta Bolognese is the quintessential Italian meal, so you will need quintessential Italian sides to accompany it. First, a glass of wine. Always. Especially if you refrained from adding some directly to the sauce. Next is the salad. I’m thinking, a Caprese, with its tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. For all that sauce you’re going to need a crusty loaf of Italian bread. I hope you have an authentic bakery nearby. Last, for dessert, let’s try something a bit different—Cherry Crumble, Italian Tortoni—a fun way to finish the meal.
Easy Homemade Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 spears celery finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 can whole tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Italian herbs
- 2 cups beef stock
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large heavy-based skillet over MED-HIGH heat. Add the ground beef and brown for 8-10 minutes, using a spoon to break it up as it cooks.
- Remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Drizzle the rest of the olive oil in the pan. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Return the ground beef to the pan, along with the tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, beef stock, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Stir the sauce occasionally and use your spoon to break up the whole tomatoes. If the sauce is too thick, pour in a little more water or stock.
