Spaghetti Bolognese
A slow-cooked meat ragù of ground beef, pancetta, tomatoes, and a splash of milk that simmers for hours until thick and deeply savory. The pasta is just a vehicle — the sauce is where all the patience pays off.
Ingredients
- 500 gspaghetti
- 500 gground beef
- 1 onion
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 2 stalkscelery
- 1 carrot
- 400 gcanned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 cupdry red wine
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- to tastesalt and black pepper
- for fryingolive oil
- for servinggrated parmesan
1 cup = 240 ml
Method
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up lumps, until the meat is browned, about 8-10 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for about 1-1.5 hours until it thickens.
- 10-15 minutes before the sauce is ready, boil the spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Drain, leaving some pasta water. Add the spaghetti to the skillet with the sauce and mix well. Serve with grated parmesan.
FAQ
Yes — replace the wine with beef stock or simply skip it. The sauce will still taste great. But wine genuinely deepens the flavor: the acid tenderises the meat and the alcohol cooks off completely. If cooking alcohol-free, add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar instead.
The classic Bologna recipe uses a 50/50 mix of beef and pork — beef gives flavor and texture, pork adds fat and tenderness. Pure beef works too but the sauce will be slightly drier. Avoid very lean mince — the fat is essential for flavor.
The classic Bolognese recipe does not include cream. A small amount of milk or cream is sometimes added at the end to soften the tomato acidity and make the sauce silkier — but it is optional, not required.
In Bologna, tagliatelle is traditional — the wide flat surface holds the sauce perfectly. Spaghetti is the most popular worldwide, though Italians debate it. Penne and rigatoni also work well: the tubular shapes trap the meat inside.
Two common reasons: too much liquid added at once, or not enough time to reduce. The sauce should simmer uncovered on low heat — the liquid gradually evaporates and concentrates the flavor. If it is already watery, just keep simmering and stirring until it thickens.
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Comments (2)
Приготовил. Не так красиво получилось как на картинке, но тоже вкусно
Pull the pasta 2 minutes before the package time and finish it directly in the sauce for spaghetti bolognese. The pasta absorbs flavors and reaches perfect al dente right in the pan. This single technique changed my cooking.