Beef Bolognese with Spaghetti (Printable)

Rich beef and tomato sauce served over al dente spaghetti with Parmesan cheese.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Bolognese Sauce

01 - 2 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, finely diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, finely diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80/20 lean/fat)
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1/2 cup dry red wine
09 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 tsp dried basil
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ For the Pasta

15 - 14 oz dried spaghetti
16 - Salt, for pasta water

→ For Serving

17 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Fresh basil or parsley leaves (optional)

# How-to Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until softened.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in red wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until mostly evaporated, about 2–3 minutes.
05 - Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, sugar (if using), salt, and pepper. Stir well.
06 - Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and cook for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and flavorful. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
08 - Remove bay leaf from sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
09 - Toss spaghetti with a portion of the Bolognese sauce, or plate spaghetti and top each serving generously with sauce.
10 - Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and garnish with basil or parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce develops an incredible depth of flavor that no quick version can match
  • Your entire house will smell like an Italian grandmother moved in for the afternoon
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day
02 -
  • Low and slow wins the race—rushing the simmer time cheats you of depth
  • Reserving pasta water is your insurance policy for perfect sauce consistency
  • The sauce tastes better if made ahead, even the day before
03 -
  • The sauce actually freezes beautifully—make a double batch and thank yourself later
  • Grating a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg into the sauce is a secret restaurant trick
  • Let your meat come to room temperature before cooking for more even browning

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