Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
Submitted by noorul
A hearty pasta Bolognese with a slow-simmered ground beef and tomato sauce built on sauteed onion, pepper, and celery. Loaded with oregano and basil, finished with grated parmesan over your favorite pasta.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
75 minA good Bolognese sauce is all about time and a flavorful base, and this one delivers a thick, rich meat sauce to spoon over any pasta you like.
It starts with a soffritto: onion, green pepper, and celery softened in butter until sweet and fragrant. That trio is the savory foundation, so don’t rush it; five minutes of gentle sauteing builds flavor before the meat goes in.
Browning the ground beef separately and draining it keeps the sauce from turning greasy, while a long, covered simmer of at least 40 minutes melds the herbs, tomatoes, and meat into something deeper than a quick stir-together sauce.
Tomato paste goes in near the end to thicken the sauce and add a concentrated, almost sweet tomato punch. Simmer it down, then ladle it over pasta with a generous shower of freshly grated parmesan.
Chef Tips
- Take your time softening the onion, pepper, and celery; that base is where the depth starts.
- Brown and drain the beef so the finished sauce comes out rich, not greasy.
- The longer it simmers, the better; 40 minutes is the minimum, but an hour or more deepens the flavor.
- Save a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce when you toss it with the noodles.
Variations
- Add Italian sausage along with the beef for a meatier, spiced sauce.
- Stir in a splash of red wine or milk for a more traditional Bolognese.
- Toss with rotini or spaghetti, or layer the sauce into lasagna.
Ingredients
Directions
Brown ground beef in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, and celery. Sauté about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, beef, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, at least 40 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste; simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
Serve over pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Comments
2 CUPS butter? MUST be a mistake. I saute the vegetables in only 1 Tbs. butter and 2 Tbs. olive oil. I don't think that much butter is necessary. The liquid in the tomatoes is quite enough to simmer for the 40 min. Add water if necessary.
it shouldn't be 2 cups butter, way too much. I changed the amount to 3 tablespoons or half butter and half olive oil. Thanks for pointing it out, and the picture looks great like always! Thanks for sharing :)