Everyone needs a great everyday Spaghetti Bolognese recipe, and this is mine! The Bolognese Sauce is rich, thick and has beautiful depth of flavour. It’s perfect for a quick midweek meal but even better if you can simmer it for a couple of hours! Serve it over pasta, stuff into jacket potatoes, make an epic Lasagna or Baked Spaghetti Pie!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Spaghetti Bolognese
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!
And here she is – my Spag Bol. Rich, thick, incredible flavour in the sauce even if you only have time for a quick 20 minute simmer. Though if you can slow cook for a couple of hours, it really takes it to another level!
What goes in Spaghetti Bolognese
I’ve been loyal to this Meat Sauce 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.
How to make Bolognese Sauce
The making part is straightforward and quite quick too:
Saute garlic and onion – about 3 minutes;
Brown the beef – about 2 minutes;
Add everything else, give it a good stir then simmer for 20 minutes minimum (midweek), up to 3 hours (weekend indulgence!). Slow cooking makes the beef incredibly tender and the sauce develops extra flavour.
Difference between Bolognese and Meat Sauce?
Different name for the same thing! You’ll find Bolognese made all sorts of ways all across Italy and all around the world, but essentially mince meat (usually beef, sometimes combined with pork or veal) in a tomato based sauce flavoured with herbs.
The “proper” way to serve pasta: toss with the 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. 🙂
What to serve with Spaghetti Bolognese
For a classic Italian feast, serve this with:
Garlic Bread – or even more indulgent, with Cheesy Garlic Bread (or go over-the-top with Crack Bread). Or, for a more traditional start, real-deal Italian Focaccia.
Garden Salad with Italian Dressing (hit of crisp fresh salad essential!)
Tiramisu to finish with an Espresso Martini on the side
For a super quick side salad option, make this Rocket Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Dressing. Probably my most made side salad because it’s literally a 2 minute effortless-no-chop salad!
This recipe 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.
Either way, I hope you love it as much as I do! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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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 beef mince (ground beef) OR half pork, half beef (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine (sub water or beef broth/stock)
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled OR granulated beef bouillon (Note 2)
- 800g / 28 oz can crushed tomato (or tomato passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 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 , dried
- 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 3 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.
- Slow simmer option: really takes this to another level, if you have the time! Add 3/4 cup of water, cover with lid and simmer on very low for 2 – 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. (Note 5) Uncover, simmer 20 minutes to thicken sauce. (Note 6 for slow cooker)
- 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:
* Scaling recipe up (use auto recipe scaler) – If you double the recipe (or more!), then brown the beef in 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!
– Finely chop 1 carrot + celery and saute that with the onion to make a softrito. Cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes for extra amazingness!
– 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
– Bolognese gets better the longer it is cooked, and it’s even better the next day! 7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings, including pasta.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new commentary, new photos and most importantly, recipe video! No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare! Too many readers love it as it is. 🙂
More family favourites we’ll love forever
Meatloaf – so much more than just a hunk of meat in loaf form!
Life of Dozer
You know those muddy looking ponds on golf courses? He loves ’em 😖
It tastes great but I did the slow simmer option and my sauce is very runny
You might have to reduce the sauce further with the lid off at the end i you did the slow simmer Jan-Maree. N x
Amazing! Will be my go to recipe from now on. I can’t believe the difference in adding the pasta to the sauce!
I made this today with venison, added green peppers and no Worcestershire because I forgot. BOMB!!!
Oh yes!!! N x
i made this 2 nights ago and it was AMAZING!!!! it brought back all sorts of memories when i was a kid!!! tasted fantastic and somehow extremely homely. Ever since my first taste, i’ve been pining to eat it for every meal for the last 2 days. hahahaha no kidding!!!
didn’t have celery on hand to make sofrito, so just used onion and carrots. it turned out wonderfully.
nagi, thank you for your work and providing us with all these wonderful recipes. u make cooking fun and most of all, reliable
I am happy you enjoyed your nostalgic meal Victoria!! N x
It say in the recipe don’t add salt or pepper with other ingredients, and cook without lid, but both are in the video
Doubled this recipe today and used the slow cooker from step 4 🤤
Amazing as always ❤️
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Hanna! N x
Hi! I’m just about to make this today to serve tomorrow evening. I decided to put the spaghetti into the sauce. I just wanted to ask whether I should put the spaghetti in now (straight after I make the sauce) and leave it in the fridge with the spaghetti, or should I store the sauce in the fridge and add to add the cooked spaghetti just before serving tomorrow evening ?
(Hope that made sense)
thank you 🙂
Hi Angel – with pasta it’s always best to make it fresh just before eating it. I would say make the sauce a day ahead then boil the pasta just before eating. If you must cook the pasta the day ahead, then store it separately to the sauce and reheat and combine just before serving. N x
You are an amazing cook, everything I’ve made turns out beautifully, even teaching my daughter to cook your recipes, now that says something 😁
Aww thanks Lisa! N x
Really delicious recipe. I had surplus marrows, so I thinly sliced them and cooked them in a little oil. Add some garlic salt. Put on top then sprinkled with Parmesan.
That sounds amazing Diane!! N x
This was fantastic to make! Made it for my partner and said this was the best home cooked meal they had in a while. I didn’t include the Worcestershire sauce because we forgot to buy some. But the meal was still fantastic even without it!
This is currently cooking and my house smells amazing! It is snowing here and a perfect winter day food. I pureed the carrot and celery as my picky boys tend to think veggies are a mistake to any meal. Thanks so much! We are having spaghetti tonight and then using the leftovers to assemble a Spaghetti pie for the freezer.
I’ve never been satisfied with my spag bol mince so was very happy to see you have a recipe. It was so delicious and easy! Thanks for making me feel like a good cook once again 🙂
Hello Nagi! I’ve made this several times before and it’s always been delicious, thank you! Alas I’ve run out of Worcestershire sauce this time, is there a good substitute I can use?
Simple delicious recipe that is spot on. I followed exactly, and would not change a thing. Beautiful flavour and consistency, kids loved it. Will definitely be on rotation.
I recently went on holidays with my extended family. This was the perfect recipe – simple to make and delicious. It was a real winner.
Hi nagi,
This is tried, tested and loved at our place. I often make a double batch and freeze some for next time.
I usually make it with the softrito too.. yum.
My question is can you make ahead and freeze the softrito? With or without the browned meat?
I never seem to get through head of celery!
I always have frozen celery on hand in the freezer as I too find that I can’t finish it in time. Slice it thinly and pop it into a freezer bag/container. Use directly from frozen for Sofrito and other cooked recipes. It can’t be used for salads as it goes soft and watery.
Hi Joanne – I don’t see why not. Let me know how it turns out! N x
I accidentally bought lamb mince and was wondering if I can still make this recipe?
Hi Talar – yes you could make a lamb bolognese or try my shepherd’s pie or lamb meatballs!. N x
i’ve made this at least one million times!!! tried and true <3
I’m confused – if I want to slow cook it for 2 1/2 hours do I brown the meat for only for a few minutes or do I fully cook it?
Hi Kristin – Just brown the meat and it will finish cooking in the slow cooker. N x
I have made this recipe many times over and it’s been exceptional, however today I made it using Mutti organic polka chopped tomatoes. OMG what a difference it made. Yes it did cost more but I see exactly what you mean when you say “quality” makes a difference. So much sweeter. I will only buy these canned tomatoes now. Thank you Nagi for turning me into a “better” cook. You are awesomeness itself!!!!
You know it Cheryl – I am as economical as the next person but when it makes a difference I will pay the extra – tomatoes are HUGELY different between brands! N x