Description
This Spaghetti Bolognese features a rich meat sauce that is easy to prepare. With ground beef, fresh herbs, and delicious tomatoes, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner that satisfies every craving.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
- â…› teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- â…“ cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup water
- 28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 8–12 oz pasta
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add finely chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper, cooking until browned; drain excess grease if needed.
- Stir in tomato paste and sugar, cooking until browned and caramelized, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits, and reduce for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add water and crushed tomatoes, breaking tomatoes with a spoon as you cook.
- Mix in dried basil, parsley, oregano, and the bay leaf, ensuring the bay leaf is submerged; simmer for at least 30 minutes with an offset lid, stirring occasionally.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions while sauce simmers. Combine sauce with cooked pasta, using reserved pasta water if needed to help the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Serve with parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
For a different flavor, consider substituting bulk Italian sausage for part of the ground beef.
This sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for later use.
Adjust the level of crushed red pepper to your preferred spiciness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg