Everyone needs a great everyday Spaghetti Bolognese recipe, and this is mine! Whether you use this for a quick midweek meal or a slow cooked weekend indulgence, this Bolognese sauce is rich, thick and has beautiful depth of flavour. This is a staple recipe you’ll make over and over again….
We Aussies have a thing about shortening words. Good day is g’day. Pavlova is Pav, afternoon is arvo, mosquitos are mozzies. Sharon is Shazz, Nagisa is Nagi (that’s yours truly).
So it is thoroughly Aussie to shorten Spaghetti Bolognese to Spag Bol!
The one and only Spaghetti Bolognese
I’ve been loyal to this recipe since I first learned to cook when I was a teenager. There are 3 little things in this recipe that might be a bit different to Bolognese recipes you’ve seen around:
1. Worcestershire sauce: it just adds that little extra something-something. I get antsy if I get caught in a situation where I have to do without;
2. Beef bouillon cubes (beef stock cubes) for extra depth of flavour in the sauce, to compensate for this being an everyday midweek version rather than a traditional slow cooked Bolognese Ragu which starts with a soffrito (onion, celery, carrot slowly sautéed) as well as pancetta.
3. Sugar, if needed: just a little bit goes a long way to transform the sauce if you happen not to be using high quality, sweet Italian canned tomatoes. Supermarket canned tomatoes here in Australia are notoriously sour. Especially the Australian ones – it pains me so much to say that, but it’s true.
Toss the pasta with the Bolognese Sauce
As with all my pasta recipes, I include a step to toss the pasta IN the sauce, rather than just placing pasta in bowls and spooning over sauce.
This makes the Bolognese sauce emulsify, so it thickens, becomes glossy and clings to the spaghetti. No more watery sauce at the bottom of your pasta bowl! This is how chefs and Italians make pasta. Try it once, you will be converted!
But it is an optional step. Sometimes, you just don’t have the energy to clean yet another pan. I hear ya. 🙂
This is the way I have been making Spaghetti Bolognese for decades (gosh it’s scary saying that!!). I really love it, and I think the sauce is rich and loaded with flavour, especially for a 30 minute Bolognese recipe.
Though if you have the time, slow cook it for a couple of hours. The flavour develops and the meat becomes so luxuriously tender! – Nagi xx
PS Complete this with a side of classic Garlic Bread and salad greens with Italian Dressing. 💯
MORE CLASSICS WE’LL LOVE FOREVER
- Beef Stroganoff
- Meatloaf – a family favourite forever and ever!
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Beef Pot Roast
- Beef Stew
Spaghetti Bolognese
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 1 lb / 500g mince / ground beef OR half pork, half beef (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml dry red wine (or sub with water or beef broth/stock)
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled (Note 2)
- 28 oz / 800g can crushed tomato (or tomato passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 - 3 tsp white sugar , if needed (Note 3)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano)
- Salt and pepper
To Serve
- 400 g / 13 oz spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 5 minutes or until light golden and softened.
- Turn heat up to high and add beef. Cook, breaking it up as your go, until browned.
- Add red wine. Bring to simmer and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the alcohol smell is gone.
- Add remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer then turn down to medium so it bubbles gently. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes (no lid), adding water if the sauce gets too thick for your taste. Stir occasionally. (See note 5 for slow cooking option)
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste right at the end. Serve over spaghetti - though if you have the time, I recommend tossing the sauce and pasta per steps below.
Tossing Sauce and Spaghetti (optional, Note 4)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook per packet directions MINUS 1 minute.
- Scoop out a mug of pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
- Add pasta into the bolognese sauce with about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of reserved pasta water over medium heat. Toss gently for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, or until the spaghetti turns red and the sauce thickens.
- Divide between bowls. Garnish with parmesan and parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
* If you double the recipe, then brown the beef in 2 batches. If you try to cook it in one batch, you will end up stewing it rather than browning!
* SLOW COOKER: This is really fantastic made in a slow cooker! The meat becomes so tender and the sauce has incredible flavour. At step 3, cook until the wine liquid disappears completely, then transfer it into the slow cooker at step 4 and cook for low for 6 hours.
* VARIATIONS: Here are some ideas for ways to take this up a notch, if you are so inclined!
- Add finely chopped bacon (smokey is the ultimate!) or pancetta, cook with the onion
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (my mother did this, I sometimes do! I've seen it in some chef recipes)
- Fresh or dried red chilli
- Finely chop 1 carrot + celery and saute that with the onion to make a softrito
- Bolognese gets better the longer it is cooked, and it's even better the next day. A traditional Italian Bolognese Ragu is cooked for around 2 hours!
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new commentary and most importantly, recipe video! No change to recipe.Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Monday’s Life of Dozer flashback: puppy Dozer before learning how to swim, gazing longingly out at the ducks in the dam.
And today’s flashback – Dozer after learning how to swim. This is why I don’t walk him on the golf course anymore!
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Making this right now. Doubled the recipe. Having to use the lid though. Even on low, my gas stove is causing big splattery bubbles.
You need a splatter shield! ☺️
This is the tastiest Bolognese recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and let it simmer for about 45 minutes. Even my fussy eater said it was 10 out of 10. This is now my go-to Bolognese recipe and I’ll definitely be making this on a regular basis.
Made a double batch of this for the freezer for the kids meals, used turkey mince & no red wine and in a seperate pot sautéed some grated zucchini and grated carrot then added towards the end. A great healthy meal & I have Saturday nights for the next 8 weeks set for the kids. They gobbled it up and declared it the most powerful pasta sauce ever. A success yet again!
Do you have a section for meals that freeze well? Back at work soon and need more recipes.
Wahoo! That’s great to hear Rachel!
Made this tonight and my super picky toddler gobbled it up even though she’s been sick and off her food (so needless to say it’s a winner) I even watched in awe as she ate the mince 🙀 she’s generally not a meat eater, thank you for this delicious recipe!
Wahoo, that’s the best compliment Christina!
Hi Nagi,
nice article, I appreciate a lot the effort in cooking good food.
I come from Bologna and I have to remark the fact that spaghetti is the wrong pasta to eat this sauce. Unfortunately, spaghetti Bolognese is an invention from UK (most likely). In italy you will never be served that. They invented to eat it with one of the few kind of pasta that does not fit.
Eat it with thick tagliatelle. And the pasta should be from just wheat and eggs.
If you check around the web finally people are realizing this fact, apparently. Spread the word and keep up the good work!
Best,
Davide
Yes! I am about to share a classic Ragu alla bolognese and am serving it with tagliatelle!! N x
Made garlic and Prawn Pasta
it was the best I have ever made
You make things so easy
Thank you
Thanks so much Phil!!
Hi, Sorry, forgot to say – pls don’t judge, I broke all my spaghetti in half before cooking for 10 mins, cos I find normal length spaghetti hard to mix with sauce well.
That’s totally fine!
Hi, hands down the best spag bol recipe, thank you. I added extra thyme and a bit of origano, bit of extra red wine ( cos everything is better with red wine!), cooked for 2 hours on low, topped with parmasan and black pepper, added a bit of salt, great!! Def recommend mixing spag with sauce for 10 mins. s’cuse spelling!
Perfect Michele!
Made this last night it was awesome my husband could not stop eating it …. I love all your recipes you made cooking so easy 🙏
That’s great to hear Diane!
This looks great! Do you think using ground turkey or chicken for this recipe would work ok instead of ground beef and not changing anything else?
Hi Sam, you could definitely sub but I think it won’t be as rich as beef/pork bolognese – but it will still be delicious!
Thank you to your recipe. I did this twice already last time I put a celery and carrots it taste refreshing because of the celery and taste good. No need to add cheese anymore. Taste delicious.
That’s so great to hear Jane!
Well worth the time to use the slow cooker. Nice recipe.
Yes definitely worth the wait! I’m so glad you love it Michael!
Made this recipe lastnight but added 200g of finely chopped bacon and carrot and slow cooked it for 2.5 hours. Tuned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe 🙂 I’ll definitely be making this again.
Sounds divine Nicole!
Absolutely loved this recipe. Always wondered how to get my spag bol just perferct and this recipe has finally done it!! Thanks Nagi xx
Wahoo, that’s great Prerna!