Beef Bolognese with Spaghetti (Printable View)
A hearty dish of ground beef and tomato sauce paired with perfectly cooked spaghetti.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.1 lbs ground beef (80/20 ratio preferred)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
→ Pantry & Liquids
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
09 - ½ cup dry red wine
10 - ½ cup whole milk
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
15 - 14 ounces dried spaghetti
→ Garnish
16 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
17 - Fresh basil leaves (optional)
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrot, and celery for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
03 - Increase heat to medium-high, add ground beef, and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon for 6 to 8 minutes.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
05 - Pour in red wine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
06 - Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
07 - Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
08 - Stir in milk and continue simmering for another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
09 - Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
10 - Remove bay leaf from sauce. Toss spaghetti with a portion of the sauce or plate spaghetti and ladle sauce generously atop. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The milk at the end softens everything into something almost velvety, a trick that feels like a secret once you know it.
- It actually tastes better the next day, which means you can make it without any urgency and reheat it without guilt.
- One pot of sauce feeds four people generously, and stretches to six if you're adding a salad and bread.
02 -
- Don't skip the soffritto step or rush it; those 7 to 8 minutes transform hard vegetables into a sweet, aromatic foundation that can't be replicated by adding everything at once.
- The milk is not optional and isn't a mistake—it's an essential part of traditional bolognese that balances the tomato's acidity and creates a silkier mouthfeel.
- Taste as you go, especially after adding tomatoes and again after the milk, because seasoning needs adjust as ingredients break down and flavors concentrate.
03 -
- If your sauce tastes too acidic, a pinch of sugar won't hurt, but adding the milk should already balance most of that sharpness; taste before you adjust.
- Breaking the beef into very small pieces during browning means more surface area for browning and a sauce that feels smooth rather than chunky.