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    Home » Recipes » Italian

    Spaghetti Alla Bolognese

    Published: Jun 5, 2023 · Modified: Jan 23, 2024 by Nataliia

    Jump to Recipe

    Spaghetti alla bolognese is a popular Italian-inspired pasta dish. This Spaghetti served with a rich and flavorful meat sauce, known as ragù alla Bolognese is ideal for a comforting family meal. 

    Bolognese meat sauce served over spaghetti , garnished with some grated Parmesan.
    Jump to:
    • About the recipe
    • Key Ingredients
    • Directions
    • Recipe tips
    • Make ahead
    • More Italian recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    About the recipe

    The traditional Bolognese sauce is made by cooking a combination of ground beef and pork, pancetta, along with diced onion, carrot, celery, some tomato puree, salt, and sometimes broth. 

    While the original recipe calls for double concentrate tomato paste, pureed tomatoes (passata) are also used often.

    This ragu sauce is very simple and does not need any herbs or spices, but sometimes, I add dried basil or oregano.

    Traditionally, the bolognese sauce benefits from very slow cooking, over 1-2 hours. 

    If you decide to cook it that long, you will need to add extra broth or water. 

    As a busy mom, I do not have much time to leave the dish cooking on the stove, so this recipe cooks much faster.

    But even with a shorter cooking time, the right ingredients, and proportions will do the trick to make the dish taste authentic and absolutely delicious. 

    While I am serving this dish with spaghetti, you may also use tagliatelle, pappardelle, and other types of Italian pasta. 

    It can also be used to make this easy lasagna or baked rigatoni dish.

    Spaghetti pasta is the mostly common in the United States. And kids prefer spaghetti anyway.  

    When serving spaghetti alla Bolognese, the sauce can be poured over the cooked pasta or mixed and tossed, ensuring each spaghetti is well coated.

    And of course, do not forget about some freshly grated Parmesan on top. 

    Key Ingredients

    Below you can find the main ingredients and the best substitutions to make this recipe. 

    Meat

    Today I used only ground beef because that's what I had at home. The sauce came out juicy, light, and lean. 

    The original Bolognese recipe, which comes from Bologna, Italy. Traditionally, they use a combination of pork and beef. Pork adds a sweet taste and fat, while beef brings a lot of robust flavors. 

    And if you want to give the dish a unique profile, I recommend frying the diced pancetta before adding the meat. 

    Pancetta is an Italian pork belly cured with salt and spices. It is not a mandatory ingredient, but for sure can enhance the flavor of the sauce. 

    Vegetables

    The traditional Italian ragu requires vegetables. The most common are onion, carrot, and celery. I am using all three to make this recipe. 

    You can easily skip celery or use some finely diced bell pepper instead. 

    Passata

    Passata is strained tomato puree. It usually has only one ingredient - tomatoes. 

    Passata or tomato paste is usually used to make the ragu

    The original recipe included concentrated tomato paste along with some liquids such as broth, water, or even milk.

    Today, I am using some passata and water to simmer the sauce. 

    Spaghetti 

    In Italy, you will more likely see the bolognese sauce served with tagliatelle.

    Tagliatelle is a flat ribbon pasta made with eggs and semolina, while spaghetti is made of durum wheat or semolina.

     Both are great kinds of pasta to serve with the bolognese sauce.

    Recipe ingredients on a white background: spaghetti, ground beef, passata, carrot, celery, onion, olive oil, salt, black pepper, grated Parmesan.

    Directions

    Rinse, pat dry, and peel the vegetables. Dice onion, carrot, and celery very finely. You can also use a food processor to speed up the process. 

    Diced onions, diced celery and diced carrots on a wooden cutting board.

    In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery to the pan. Saute the vegetables over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they start softening up.

    Now you can add diced pancetta (I am not using it today) and cook for another 2-3 minutes to render some of the fat. 

    Diced onion, carrots and celery cooking in a skillet with olive oil.

    Add ground beef, salt, and some Italian herbs (if using any). Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes. Start stirring and breaking up the meat into even small pieces with a spatula. Continue cooking until the beef is browned evenly.  

    Raw ground beef added to the skillet with sauteed vegetables.

    Now, add the passata and a little bit of water or broth. Bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. 

    Tomato puree added to the browned ground beef.

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook it for about 10 minutes or until it is al dente or softer depending on your preference. 

    Spaghetti placed in a pot with boiling water.

    Once cooked drain the water. You can add spaghetti to the sauce or serve the sauce over the pasta.

    Add some freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!

    Overheat view of a white plate with spaghetti and some ragu meat sauce on top.

    Recipe tips

    • For more flavor use both ground beef and pork.
    • Use passata (pureed tomatoes) or tomato paste, avoid any other tomato sauces with added extra ingredients. 
    • Suate the vegetable well so they have time to develop flavor. 
    • If the sauce taste sour, you can balance it by adding a pinch of sugar. 

    Make ahead

    If you are making it ahead of time, make sure to store the sauce separately in an air-tight container. It will last for up to 3 days when stored properly. 

    I prefer using a glass container, the plastic will stain and retain the odors. 

    Make sure to cool the sauce down before placing it in the fridge. 

    I recommend reheating it on the stove in a small saucer pan or a pot. 

    More Italian recipes

    • Pasta e Lenticchie
    • Risotto with fennel
    • Easy beef meatballs in tomato sauce
    • Pesto Genovese
    • Ricotta and beef lasagna

    📖 Recipe

    Bolognese meat sauce served over spaghetti , garnished with some grated Parmesan.

    Spaghetti Alla Bolognese

    Nataliia
    Spaghetti alla bolognese is a popular Italian pasta dish. This Spaghetti served with a rich and flavorful meat sauce, known as ragu alla Bolognese is ideal for a comforting family meal.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4
    Calories 445 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 large skillet
    • 1 large pot
    • 1 Measuring Cup

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 medium carrot
    • 1 celery rib
    • ½ yellow onion
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 cup passata (salt-free tomato puree)
    • ½-¾ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, Italian herbs (optional)
    • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup broth or water
    • ½ package spaghetti
    • 4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan, for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Dice the onion, carrot and celery very finely.
    • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add diced onion, carrot and celery. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Until the vegetables start softening up.
    • Add ground beef, salt black pepper and Italian herbs (if using). Cooke the meat until browned, breaking it up into small pieces using a spatula.
    • Pour 1 cup of passata and about ½ cup of water or broth. Cover the sauce and bring it to simmer. Cook on a low heat for about 15-20 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according the package instructions. Once cooked, drain the water.
    • Combine the spaghetti with the Ragu sauce or serve the sauce over the paste. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the dish and enjoy!

    Notes

    Meat - you can use beef only or a combination of beef and pork.
    Tomato puree - make sure to use passata or tomato paste.
    Pasta - serve it with spaghetti, tagliatelle, or pappardelle noodles.
    All nutrition facts are only estimate and should be used for information purposes only.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 47.4gProtein: 27.4gFat: 15.6gSaturated Fat: 5.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 70.9mgSodium: 524mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 1.7g
    Keyword italiam bolognese sauce, ragu bolognese recipe, spaghetti alla bolognese
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

    1. Lora says

      January 23, 2024 at 10:46 pm

      Sorry, but these are not spaghetti alla bolognese. Ragù (meat sauce is Bolgnese ragù, What you call Spaghetti alla Bolognese have no meat, they are made with Tuna. I am from there, so I knowo what I am talking about!

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Sava's kitchen female author wearing an apron standing in the kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Nataliia, a mom from Ukraine living in the U.S. I share cozy, family-friendly recipes that taste like home, no matter where you are. I hope these recipes end up in your family’s recipe box someday.

    More about Nataliia →

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