Description
A classic Italian Spaghetti Bolognese recipe featuring a rich, slow-simmered meat sauce made with ground beef, tomatoes, red wine, and aromatic herbs, served over perfectly cooked spaghetti and garnished with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped (brown, yellow, or white)
- 1 lb / 500g beef mince (ground beef) (or half pork, half beef)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine (or substitute with water or beef broth/stock)
- 2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled (or granulated beef bouillon)
- 800g / 28 oz can crushed tomato (or tomato passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp white sugar, if needed
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 400 g / 13 oz dried spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Finely chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking for about 3 minutes until they soften and turn light golden.
- Cook beef: Increase heat to high and add the ground beef. Break it up with a spoon and cook until browned all over.
- Reduce wine: Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute while scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits, until the alcohol smell dissipates.
- Simmer: Add the crushed tomato, tomato paste, crumbled beef bouillon, sugar (if needed), Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium, allowing the sauce to bubble gently. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Slow simmer option: For deeper flavor, add 3/4 cup water, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer on very low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Then uncover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Taste and season: Adjust salt if desired before serving.
- Tossing sauce and spaghetti (optional): Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions minus 1 minute. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Combine: Return the spaghetti to the pot with the Bolognese sauce and add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss gently over medium heat for 1.5 to 2 minutes, allowing the spaghetti to absorb the sauce and thicken.
- Serve: Divide the spaghetti and sauce between bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Using half pork and half beef mince enhances flavor depth.
- Beef bouillon cubes add concentrated meaty flavor, can substitute with granulated bouillon.
- Sugar balances the acidity of the tomato sauce and is optional based on taste.
- Tossing the sauce with pasta and reserved cooking water helps integrate flavors and improves texture.
- Slow simmering deepens flavor complexity if time allows.
- The slow cooker method involves simmering the sauce for several hours on low heat to intensify flavors.
