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This easy Spaghetti Bolognese recipe has all the makings of a family favorite. A tasty meat sauce over pasta – what could be better?
I think everyone has a recipe for spaghetti Bolognese! Perhaps you had an old family recipe passed down from Italian grandparents, or use a jar of store-bought sauce (like I do here in my Instant Pot Spaghetti). Or maybe you have your own favorite Bolognese recipe like I do! This is my favorite way to make this for my family.
It is just good food!
Bacon, carrots, onions and celery form the base of the meat sauce, making it super flavorful. We add garlic, tomatoes, beef or chicken stock, as well as Italian seasoning, to round it out.
Check out my Turkey Bolognese for a lighter version of this classic recipe.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It uses basic ingredients that are easy to find.
- Because it involves tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery, it’s PRACTICALLY a salad…
- You can sub many of the ingredients according to what you have on hand. Chopped red bell peppers taste great in this recipe. You could also use Italian sausage, ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey in place of the ground beef. I often use half beef stock, half red wine as well.
- It tastes even better the next day, so plan for leftovers!
If you love this, you’ll also enjoy my Spaghetti Carbonara or Skillet Mac and Cheese. Both hugely popular classics! You might also like a shortcut – my Instant Pot
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s both, actually. Bolognese is an Italian word, while the French word, Bolognaise, is what people in Australia and New Zealand know it as. In England? Spag Bol. Easy.
What to serve with pasta?
I like a good salad alongside a hearty pasta dish. Go for a classic Caesar Salad (from Natasha’s Kitchen), or my Grilled Vegetable Salad. A basic Arugula Salad is also a good option!
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Olive Oil & Butter.
- Onions, Celery, Carrots. Diced into a similar size.
- Bacon. I’d say this is optional, but it’s bacon! If you don’t have it, it’s okay, but so much better with it!
- Garlic. As much or as little as you prefer. Make sure it’s finely minced.
- Ground Beef. Go for the leanest you can get. I like a 97/3 blend.
- Tomato Paste. Adds additional flavor depth.
- Flour. Regular all-purpose flour.
- Tomatoes. I used canned tomatoes. They can be crushed, whole or diced, even tomato sauce if that is what you have!
- Beef Stock. If you don’t have this, chicken stock is just fine.
- Seasoning. Obviously, salt and pepper, but also Italian Seasoning. Grab it from the store or make your own. Bay leaves and red pepper flakes are not in this recipe, but I add them regularly depending on the day.
- Spaghetti. Obviously, any pasta will do. But if you can’t call it Spaghetti if you use Penne. You COULD call it pasta with Bolognese sauce though if you care about names!
How to make Spaghetti Bolognese from scratch
Scroll for Recipe
The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Make the Sauce
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions, celery and bacon pieces and fry them together for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Stir in the garlic and ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Lower the heat and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Increase the heat to medium, stir in the tomato paste and flour
Cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and stock, and bring to a boil, stirring. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the Italian Seasoning.
Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, set aside.
Serving
Pour the sauce over freshly cooked pasta.
Devour with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Want more Easy Pasta Recipes?
- Pasta e Fagioli (aka Pasta Fazool). Healthy comfort food that satisfies the whole family using commonly found ingredients!
- Skillet Lasagna. This comfort food classic is perfect for weeknights and pleases the whole family!
- Italian Style Chicken Mozzarella Skillet. A rich, tomato based sauce made from scratch, linguine pasta, and chicken. Topped with melty mozzarella cheese. What is not to love?
- Ham Tetrazzini. A super-fast weeknight dinner, this Ham Tetrazzini is a spin on the traditional version and is sure to please the whole family.
If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on Kylee Cooks, leave a comment and rating – I truly love to hear from you!
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Easy and Tasty Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 3 Tbs butter
- 2 large onions chopped finely
- 4 ribs celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 6 oz bacon chopped into small pieces
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
- 1 Tbs all purpose flour
- 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2/3 cup beef stock
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tbs Italian Seasoning
- 1 lb spaghetti pasta cooked
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet or saucepan.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots and bacon and fry them together for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Stir in the garlic and ground beef and cook,until the meat is no longer pink. Lower the heat and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Increase the heat to medium, stir in the tomato paste and flour, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and beef stock, and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Let the sauce reduce, then pour over freshly cooked pasta.
- Devour
nutrition facts
Nutritional Disclaimer
Recipes written and produced on Kylee Cooks are for informational purposes only. Kylee is not a certified nutritionist. Nutritional data provided on Kylee Cooks has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.
Update: This was originally posted in October of 2008, and has been updated to improve reader experience.
Honza says
Thank you for this delicious recipe. Words are not enough to describe how fabulous this dish is. Thank you for sharing it with us. It’s part of our cuisine from now on. Have a great day !
Jan Forbes says
Made this for my family tonight. Wow, it was absolutely delicious and everyone went back for more. Proof indeed that it was very tasty (and easy too!)