Description
Enjoy the rich flavors of Spaghetti Bolognese with a savory meat sauce made from fresh ingredients. This simple yet delicious dish is perfect for quick dinners and offers a wholesome meal that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 lb ground beef 85 or 90%
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup dry red wine (or soda chicken, beef, or vegetable broth)
- ¼ cup water
- 28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil or 10 torn basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 8–12 oz pasta for serving – i like spaghetti
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add finely chopped onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef along with fine sea salt, cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook until browned, crumbling as you go. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Mix in tomato paste and granulated sugar, cooking until the paste is browned, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and reduce the wine by half, about 3-5 minutes.
- Introduce water and crushed tomatoes, breaking them apart as they cook.
- Add dried basil, parsley, oregano, and bay leaf and stir to incorporate. Simmer for at least 30 minutes with a slightly offset lid, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce simmers, cook pasta according to package instructions. Combine sauce with pasta or serve the sauce over individual portions. If mixing, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water and add it along with the drained pasta. Stir to combine and simmer until the sauce clings to the noodles, about several minutes.
- Serve the dish topped with parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Feel free to substitute ground beef with Italian sausage for a different flavor.
Adjust the red pepper flakes according to your spice preference.
For a thicker sauce, let it simmer longer without the lid.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg