How to cook bolognese
How to cook bolognese
Spaghetti Bolognese
Everyone needs a great everyday Spaghetti Bolognese recipe, and this is mine! The Bolognese Sauce is rich, thick and has beautiful depth of flavour. It’s perfect for a quick midweek meal though if you have the time to simmer this Meat Sauce for a couple of hours, you’ll take it from seriously delish to OMG this is amazing!!
Serve it over pasta, stuff into jacket potatoes, make an epic Lasagna or Baked Spaghetti Pie!
Spaghetti Bolognese
We Aussies have a thing about shortening words. Good day is g’day. Pavlova is Pav, afternoon is arvo, mosquitos are mozzies. Sharon is Shazz, Nagisa is Nagi (that’s yours truly).
So it is thoroughly Aussie to shorten Spaghetti Bolognese to Spag Bol!
And here she is – my Spag Bol. Rich, thick, incredible flavour in the sauce even if you only have time for a quick 20 minute simmer. Though if you can slow cook for a couple of hours, it really takes it to another level!
What goes in Spaghetti Bolognese
I’ve been loyal to this Meat Sauce recipe since I first learned to cook when I was a teenager. There are 3 little things in this recipe that might be a bit different to Bolognese recipes you’ve seen around:
1. Worcestershire sauce: it just adds that little extra something-something. I get antsy if I get caught in a situation where I have to do without;
2. Beef bouillon cubes (beef stock cubes) for extra depth of flavour in the sauce, to compensate for this being an everyday midweek version rather than a traditional slow cooked Bolognese Ragu which starts with a soffrito (onion, celery, carrot slowly sautéed) as well as pancetta.
3. Sugar, if needed: just a little bit goes a long way to transform the sauce if you happen not to be using high quality, sweet Italian canned tomatoes. Supermarket canned tomatoes here in Australia are notoriously sour. Especially the Australian ones – it pains me so much to say that, but it’s true.
How to make Bolognese Sauce
The making part is straightforward and quite quick too:
Saute garlic and onion – about 3 minutes;
Brown the beef – about 2 minutes;
Add everything else, give it a good stir then simmer for 20 minutes minimum (midweek), up to 3 hours (weekend indulgence!). Slow cooking makes the beef incredibly tender and the sauce develops extra flavour.
Difference between Bolognese and Meat Sauce?
Different name for the same thing! You’ll find Bolognese made all sorts of ways all across Italy and all around the world, but essentially mince meat (usually beef, sometimes combined with pork or veal) in a tomato based sauce flavoured with herbs.
The “proper” way to serve pasta: toss with the sauce
As with all my pasta recipes, I include a step to toss the pasta IN the sauce, rather than just placing pasta in bowls and spooning over sauce.
This makes the Bolognese sauce emulsify, so it thickens, becomes glossy and clings to the spaghetti. No more watery sauce at the bottom of your pasta bowl! This is how chefs and Italians make pasta. Try it once, you will be converted!
But it is an optional step. Sometimes, you just don’t have the energy to clean yet another pan. I hear ya. 🙂
What to serve with Spaghetti Bolognese
For a classic Italian feast, serve this with:
Garlic Bread – or even more indulgent, with Cheesy Garlic Bread (or go over-the-top with Crack Bread). Or, for a more traditional start, real-deal Italian Focaccia.
Garden Salad with Italian Dressing (hit of crisp fresh salad essential!)
Tiramisu to finish with an Espresso Martini on the side
For a super quick side salad option, make this Rocket Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Dressing. Probably my most made side salad because it’s literally a 2 minute effortless-no-chop salad!
This recipe is the way I have been making Spaghetti Bolognese for decades (gosh it’s scary saying that!!). I really love it, and I think the sauce is rich and loaded with flavour, especially for a 30 minute Bolognese recipe.
Though if you have the time, slow cook it for a couple of hours. The flavour develops and the meat becomes so luxuriously tender.
Either way, I hope you love it as much as I do! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
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The best spaghetti bolognese recipe
Our best ever spaghetti bolognese is super easy and a true Italian classic with a meaty, chilli sauce. This recipe comes courtesy of BBC Good Food user Andrew Balmer
Freezable (sauce only)
| Nutrient | Unit |
|---|---|
| kcal | 624 |
| fat | 25 g |
| saturates | 10 g |
| carbs | 58 g |
| sugars | 12 g |
| fibre | 6 g |
| protein | 35 g |
| salt | 1.6 g |
Ingredients
For the bolognese sauce
To season and serve
Method
Put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
Add 4 finely chopped bacon rashers and fry for 10 mins until golden and crisp.
Reduce the heat and add the 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 garlic cloves and the leaves from 2-3 sprigs rosemary, all finely chopped, then fry for 10 mins. Stir the veg often until it softens.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add 500g beef mince and cook stirring for 3-4 mins until the meat is browned all over.
Add 2 tins plum tomatoes, the finely chopped leaves from ¾ small pack basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 beef stock cube, 1 deseeded and finely chopped red chilli (if using), 125ml red wine and 6 halved cherry tomatoes. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the plum tomatoes.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 1 hr 15 mins stirring occasionally, until you have a rich, thick sauce.
Add the 75g grated parmesan, check the seasoning and stir.
When the bolognese is nearly finished, cook 400g spaghetti following the pack instructions.
Drain the spaghetti and either stir into the bolognese sauce, or serve the sauce on top. Serve with more grated parmesan, the remaining basil leaves and crusty bread, if you like.
How to cook bolognese sauce at home
The Bolognese sauce is considered one of the symbols of Italian cuisine, along with Parmesan or Parma ham, also born in the gastronomic capital of Italy – Bologna. It emphasizes the taste of traditional pasta, is an indispensable attribute of lasagna, goes well with vegetable side dishes, for example, potatoes.
The recipes for making sauce are extremely simple and accessible, both for the experienced and for the novice chef. Having mastered some of them, everyone will be able to surprise their guests and households with delicious dishes worthy of the attention of the most sophisticated gourmets..
| Ingredients | amount |
|---|---|
| veal (beef) – | 600 g |
| onion – | 2 pcs. |
| celery – | 3 stalks |
| tomatoes – | 5 pieces. |
| carrot – | 2 pcs. |
| bacon – | 100 g |
| dry wine (red and white) – | 150 ml |
| milk – | 200 ml |
| meat broth – | 200 ml |
| garlic – | 5 teeth |
| fresh parsley – | 6-7 branches |
| salt, pepper, dry herbs, nutmeg – | taste |
| Time for preparing: 120 minutes | Calories per 100 grams: 185 Kcal |
Consider the classic recipe at home in great detail. Peel garlic and onion, cut into small cubes, finely chop the cleaned carrots, pour boiling water over the tomatoes and cold water, remove the skin and seeds, chop.
Fresh tomatoes, if desired, are replaced with canned. Celery chop with a knife. Beef cut into slices and twist in a meat grinder, cut the bacon into cubes.
Fry bacon in a thick-walled pan to melt the fat. Greaves can be removed, and you can leave. Pork fat can be replaced with a mixture of two spoons of olive and the same amount of butter.
In a fat, bring onions to softness, add carrots and celery. Fry vegetables on medium heat until soft (5 minutes), do not forget to stir it regularly.
Add minced meat to prepared vegetables and cook for 8 minutes with constant stirring. Add chopped garlic, salt, nutmeg, pepper to the pan, pour in the wine, cover and let stand for 15 minutes with minimal boiling.
In the next step, broth (water) and tomato pulp are added to the sauce. It is necessary to reduce the heat to a minimum and stir, ensuring that the sauce barely boils. If necessary, you can add water or broth in small portions.. 
Half an hour before the readiness, milk is poured in, reducing the sourness that tomatoes and wine give the sauce, dry herbs are added to taste.
Variation of sauce with minced chicken
Chicken mince in the preparation of Bolognese sauce can successfully replace beef. Such a decision will make the dish tender and original. Ingredients used in the preparation of stew based on chicken mince are as follows:
Cooking time fragrant sauce – 1 hour.
Caloric content – 110 kcal / 100 gr.
Prepare vegetables: peel and finely chop the onions and carrots, pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove the peel and cut the tomatoes into halves, chop the celery, chop the garlic in any convenient way. Heat the butter in a pan, add the chopped onion until it is golden brown and add the celery and carrots. Cook vegetables on medium heat for about 7 minutes.
Add minced chicken to the pan, stir and fry for 5 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly. Then wine and tomato juice are poured into the sauce, tomatoes, garlic, herbs and spices are added..
Sauce should be roasted on minimum heat for at least 45 minutes. 2 minutes before ready to pour in the cream.
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Vegetarian fast version
Vegetarianism is no reason to deny yourself the pleasure to try the Italian sauce Bolognese. This recipe will be relevant for those who are fasting, but wants to pamper themselves and loved ones with original and tasty dishes. For 4 servings of sauce, the following ingredients should be prepared:
Cooking time – 30 minutes.
The calorie content of the vegetarian version Bolognese – 90 kcal / 100 gr.
Chop the peeled vegetables (cut the paprika and onion into cubes, cut the carrots into thin strips, finely chop the garlic). In hot oil, bring onions until soft and golden, add carrots and in a few minutes – sweet pepper.
To the softened vegetables add mushrooms, cut into cubes, and chopped tomatoes, broccoli with basil. Stir and fry the stew for 5 minutes, add the necessary spices, stir for 10 minutes. Chilled gravy can be crushed with a blender.
Secrets of cooking this Bolognese
Observing the simple rules of cooking Bolognese, you can prepare a dish that will appreciate any gourmet. Nourishing, aromatic and rich sauce will surely become one of the favorite culinary delights on your daily and festive table..
Easy spaghetti bolognese
less than 30 mins
30 mins to 1 hour
Everyone needs a basic spaghetti bolognese recipe that still tastes great, no matter how simple. Get that depth of flavour by cooking the sauce very gently until it’s super rich. This spag bol is designed to be a low cost recipe.
Each serving provides 787 kcal, 35g protein, 103g carbohydrates (of which 19g sugars), 24g fat (of which 8g saturates), 8.5g fibre and 1.5g salt.
less than 30 mins
30 mins to 1 hour
Ingredients
Method
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and once hot add the beef mince and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the mince until well browned over a medium-high heat (be careful not to burn the mince. It just needs to be a dark brown colour). Once browned, transfer the mince to a bowl and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the saucepan you browned the mince in and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and fry gently for 5-6 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the grated carrot then pour the mince and any juices in the bowl back into the saucepan.
Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and rich. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
When ready to cook the spaghetti, heat a large saucepan of water and add a pinch of salt. Cook according to the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is cooked through, drain and add to the pan with the bolognese sauce. Mix well and serve.
Recipe Tips
This bolognese sauce can be cooked in advance and frozen. Leave to cool completely then pop in a freezer-proof container, it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
In March 2022 this recipe was costed at an average of £3.60 when checking prices at four UK supermarkets. This recipe is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard, for more details click here to see how our budget recipes were costed.
Authentic Spaghetti Bolognese
Updated: Jun 21st 2022 • Published: Apr 9th 2019 • 11 Comments
Spaghetti Bolognese is an American Italian classic loved the world over. This Authentic Bolognese is cooked long and low to leave you with a rich, deep ragu that is loaded with flavor.
How long to cook bolognese sauce for?
This authentic spaghetti bolognese is a slow cooking dish but it is worth the wait.
The key to developing the flavour is to let the sauce cook over a very low heat for 90 minutes. This elongated cooking time, means the dried herbs soften and mellow into the sauce and the onion and garlic melt into the sauce.
PRO TIP
When you add the ground beef to the onion mixture, make sure you use a spatula or wooden spoon to really break the meat down. This helps it to absorb the flavours and gives the final sauce a melt in the mouth feel.
Although the recipe requires you to brown the beef, don’t let it get too crispy as this can affect the texture of the final bolognese sauce.
Don’t be alarmed by the addition of sugar. Most canned tomatoes are a little acidic and the sugar helps to enhance the tomato taste and remove any sour notes.
If you have read any other recipe here on Sprinkles and Sprouts, you will know that I am a big advocates of using the pasta cooking water to create a thick saucy emulsion. That is vital here.
How to use the pasta cooking water in spaghetti bolognese
Once the pasta is cooked, add the pasta back to the pan along with some reserved cooking water and half of the bolognese. This is all cooked together to get the sauce into the pasta.
It really does make a difference. You can still spoon a big spoonful over the top, but the simple step of cooking the pasta in some of the sauce will make all the difference.
How many people will this Authentic Spaghetti Bolognese Serve?
The recipe below makes enough sauce for 8 people, if you want a smaller amount, in the recipe card, you can use the servings box and change the servings number, this will scale the recipe automatically for you. (Just be aware that some numbers may look a little strange when scaled down)
Or freeze half for a quick weekday meal. It tastes fabulous after freezing.
How to freeze Spaghetti Bolognese.
I recommend freezing just the sauce and cooking the amount of pasta you need for your meal.
Allow the sauce to cool and then place into labeled pots or ziplock bags. It will keep in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Just remove the bolognese from the freezer in the morning and it will be ready to heat up when you get home in the evening.
You can heat it up in a microwaveable bowl, or over a low heat on the stovetop.
Serving Suggestions:
Side: We think this classic spaghetti bolognese is best paired with some sort of bread. Either some warm ciabatta or plenty of garlic bread.
Wine: Because of the slow cooking the tomatoes in this dish can take a big bright red wine. Try a Shiraz or a Chianti. Or go more traditional and pair this dish with a wine made with the Nebbiolo grape: a Barolo or Barbaresco.
If red isn’t your thing then stay with the regionality of this dish and serve this up with a sparkling Lambrusco, unusual but a great wine pairing.