Pasta Bolognese
A classic Italian comfort dish featuring rich, slow-simmered meat sauce served over perfectly cooked pasta and finished with parmesan and fresh basil.
Equipment
Ingredients
Meat sauce
onion (diced)
1 piece
carrot (diced)
1 piece
celery stalk (diced)
1 piece
pancetta (diced)
150 g
ground beef (raw)
600 g
neutral oil
4 tbsp
tomato paste
2 tbsp
garlic (minced)
2 clove
red wine
100 ml
beef stock
300 ml
canned tomatoes (chopped)
400 g
bay leaves
2 piece
sugar
1 tsp
parmesan (grated)
40 g
fresh basil
4 stalk
Pasta
tagliatelle, pappardelle or penne (dry)
400 g
Instructions
Prepare vegetables
Dice the onion, carrot and celery stalk into small cubes. If you have a food processor, you can quickly pulse them together to get evenly sized pieces.
Prepare pancetta
Dice the pancetta or bacon into small cubes.
Brown the ground beef
Fry the ground beef in a hot pan with a little butter or oil. Use a large pan or fry the meat in batches to control the heat better, ensuring the meat is fried and not boiled. Alternatively, transfer the fried ground beef to a pot.
Add pancetta and vegetables
Add the diced pancetta/bacon and fry for a few more minutes. Add the vegetables and fry until the onion becomes translucent.
Add tomato paste and garlic
Make a space in the center of the pan and add the tomato paste. Grate the garlic and add it to the pan. Fry for a few minutes to release the flavors.
Simmer the sauce
Add the red wine if using, then pour in the stock. Add the chopped tomatoes and a couple of bay leaves. Let it simmer for at least 30-45 minutes, preferably longer for the flavors to develop. The longer it cooks, the better it becomes.
Season the sauce
Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and a little sugar to balance the flavors.
Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in a pot of lightly salted water until al dente. If you plan to toss the pasta with the sauce rather than serving them separately, cook it 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest.
Serve the pasta Bolognese
You can serve the sauce and pasta separately or mix them together. If mixing, use a little pasta water to bind the sauce so everything becomes creamy and delicious. Place everything on a large platter or in serving bowls, and top with grated parmesan and fresh basil.
Storage
The Bolognese sauce tastes even better the next day. Store pasta and sauce separately to maintain texture.
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