Bolognese
Slow-cooked meat sauce with finely diced vegetables over rigatoni. Better the longer it simmers.
ModeratePrep: 15 minCook: 45 minServes 6Stovetop
Ingredients
- ●1.5-2 lbs ground beef, 80/20
- ●1 large onion, finely diced
- ●2-3 carrots, finely diced
- ●2-3 stalks celery, finely diced
- ●1 jar tomato sauce
- ●1 lb rigatoni or penne
- ●Kosher salt
- ●Black pepper
- ●Garlic powder
- ●Italian seasoning
- ●Red pepper flakes for serving
- ●Parmesan cheese for serving
Assembly
- 1.Finely dice your onions, carrots, and celery — run your knife back through them a few extra times. You want very small pieces that will cook down and almost disappear into the sauce.
- 2.Brown 1.5-2 lbs of ground beef (80/20) in a large pot or deep pan over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat if needed.
- 3.Add the diced vegetables and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
- 4.Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- 5.Add a jar of tomato sauce (or your own) and stir everything together.
- 6.Turn the heat to very low and cover with a lid.
- 7.Let it simmer for at least 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook it, the better it gets. Taste and adjust seasoning as it goes.
- 8.Cook rigatoni or penne according to the box — not spaghetti, use a pasta that captures the sauce.
- 9.Mix the pasta with the sauce and serve with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.
Photo coming soon
The Story
“I prefer this over spaghetti because rigatoni and penne actually capture the meat sauce in the pasta — spaghetti just lets it slide off. The key to a good bolognese is the vegetable base: onions, carrots, and celery, all diced very finely so they basically dissolve into the sauce as it cooks. Put the lid on, keep the heat really low, and let it go. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors come together. This makes huge batches, freezes great, and reheats perfectly — just heat up some pasta and mix it in.”
