Weeknight Bolognese
This quick and easy recipe lets you enjoy a classic Italian meat sauce simplified into a 30-minute meal.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots finely chopped
- 1 pound ground sirloin or lean beef
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 and 1/4 cups dry red wine divided
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes ideally San Marzano or another high-quality brand
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10-12 cranks fresh-ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried pasta any shape
- 1-2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup cream optional
- freshly grated Parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.
- Add beef and cook, crumbling it as you go, for 5 minutes or until the meat is mostly browned. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more. Add 1 cup of the wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer and let it bubble for roughly 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, and cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- To finish the sauce, add nutmeg, basil, remaining 1/4 cup wine, and cream, if using. Simmer 5-7 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add drained pasta to the sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired, and serve.
Notes
- Wine: This does have more wine than the average dinner recipe, to be sure to use something you enjoy and would drink on its own! We love a simple Pinot Noir or Chianti.
- Meat: Feel free to swap ground chicken or turkey for the ground beef to make this a bit leaner.
- Pasta: Any pasta works well for this; spaghetti is always fun, but using something like shells or corkscrew-shaped cavatappi gives the sauce plenty of nooks and crannies to sink into.
- Basil: Feel free to use fresh in the sauce if you have it! Add anywhere between 2 tablespoons and 1/4 cup of fresh basil, slivered or chopped.
- Recipe: Adapted from Ina Garten with a few additions inspired by Marcella Hazan via the New York Times.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 418 kcal, Carbohydrates: 54 g, Protein: 20 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 39 mg, Sodium: 374 mg, Potassium: 696 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 2339 IU, Vitamin C: 12 mg, Calcium: 75 mg, Iron: 4 mg
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