Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
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- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion – finely chopped (~1 medium onion)
- 1/2 cup carrot – finely chopped (~1 medium carrot)
- 1/2 cup celery – finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes – crushed by hand
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- parmesan cheese – finely grated (for serving)
Instructions
1. Prep the vegetables: finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery; mince the garlic. Crush the canned tomatoes by hand in a bowl.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until very soft and lightly golden, 8–10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds.
3. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until no longer pink and lightly browned in spots, 6–8 minutes. If excess fat pools, spoon off a little.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens slightly and sticks to the pot, about 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the red wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits, until nearly evaporated, 2–3 minutes.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaf, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45–60 minutes until the sauce is thick, glossy, and the fat begins to separate on top. During the last 10 minutes, stir in the milk to round the acidity; remove the bay leaf at the end.
8. In the last 10 minutes of simmering, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, 8–10 minutes; reserve 0.5 cup pasta cooking water and drain.
9. Return the drained spaghetti to the pot, add about 2 cups of the sauce and a splash of reserved pasta water, and toss over medium heat until the pasta is well-coated and the sauce clings, 1–2 minutes.
10. Serve immediately with extra sauce spooned over and parmesan cheese on top.
Spaghetti Bolognese pairs long strands of spaghetti with a rich, tomato-forward meat sauce that’s savory, aromatic, and deeply comforting. The sauce builds flavor from a gently cooked soffritto, well-browned beef, wine, and a slow simmer that concentrates sweetness and umami. A small addition of milk softens acidity and gives the sauce a mellow, rounded finish, while al dente pasta provides a satisfying bite.
Though the name points to Bologna, this dish evolved outside Italy as an interpretation of ragù alla bolognese, gaining huge popularity in the UK, Australia, and beyond in the late 20th century. In Italy, ragù is classically served with tagliatelle and contains less tomato; abroad, the sauce became redder and more aromatic and was matched with spaghetti. Today, Spaghetti Bolognese stands as a beloved international comfort food that reflects Italian technique filtered through global home-cooking traditions.