Pasta Bolognese

5 from 1386 votes

Pasta Bolognese is a classic Italian dish where al dente pasta meets a hearty ground beef sauce, slow-cooked with onions, garlic, and tomatoes for a flavorful experience.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 369kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
3 celery sticks small diced
2 carrot sticks peeled and small diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 pound lean ground beef
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup whole milk
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
16 ounces Tagliatelle pasta or any pasta or choice
Chopped parsley for serving

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables soften.
Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Break up the ground beef and cook until it's browned and crumbled. stirring occasionally.
Add the milk and allow it to simmer until it has mostly evaporated, stirring occasionally, in order to help tenderize the beef, about 10 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano and nutmeg. Mix to combine, bring mixture to a boil and then simmer on low uncovered for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 1-2 hours. Simmering for longer will enhance the flavor. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf.
When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Serve the cooked pasta in individual bowls and spoon the Bolognese sauce over it. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Video

Notes

This recipe was updated to lean towards a more traditional bolognese sauce with milk.

Old variation -

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 15-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
16 ounces Spaghetti or penne pasta for serving
Fresh basil for serving

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions; drain. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
Heat the olive oil in a large deep saute pan. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown the beef and break it into smaller pieces with the back of a wooden spoon until cooked through.
Add onions and garlic; and season with oregano, basil and crushed red pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until they soften. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and pasta water. Mix to combine, bring mixture to a boil and then simmer on low covered for 30 minutes.
Toss the pasta with the bolognese sauce and top with fresh basil, if desired.

Make Ahead Tips: You can make the bolognese sauce up to 3 days in advance, and then cook the pasta when you're ready.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

Instead of ground beef, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken
You can change up the seasoning to add other Italian herbs of your choice.
Any kind of pasta will work with this recipe

Serving Size: One serving is about 2 oz of dried pasta.

Nutrition