Classic Beef Bolognese
A deeply rich and slow-simmered Italian meat sauce made with ground beef, soffritto, tomatoes, and a splash of red wine. Tossed with fresh pasta this hearty sauce is pure comfort food at its finest.
Rich slow-cooked Italian meat sauce with ground beef tomatoes and red wine served over pasta.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
main
soffritto
aromatics
liquid
sauce
pasta
Instructions
Cook the Soffritto
Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 to 12 minutes stirring often until the vegetables are completely soft and lightly golden.
Brown the Meat
Add minced garlic and tomato paste to the soffritto and stir for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef breaking it up finely. Cook until no pink remains and the meat begins to brown at the bottom of the pot.
Deglaze and Add Tomatoes
Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by half then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer.
Slow Simmer
Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer the sauce uncovered for at least 60 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. The sauce should thicken considerably and the fat should rise to the surface indicating the flavors have melded properly.
Cook Pasta and Combine
Cook the pasta in generously salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Toss the pasta directly into the Bolognese sauce adding a splash of pasta water to bring everything together. Serve topped with Parmesan.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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