My Weeknight Bolognese takes only 30 minutes, but the hearty tomato sauce with ground sirloin, tomatoes, red wine (don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off!), oregano and lots of spices tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove all day. You can cook any boxed pasta that you have in the pantry; I prefer orecchiette (“little ears” in Italian) or small shells because they trap the sauce. A sprinkling of fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and a splash of cream at the end, and you have a delicious, satisfying dinner your whole family will love. To save even more time, you can make the sauce over the weekend and simply reheat it while you boil some pasta before dinner. And if you want to get a few extra vegetables into your kids, add some leftover cooked broccoli, cauliflower or peas to the finished sauce-they’ll never suspect!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 5 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra to cook the pasta
- 1 pound lean ground sirloin
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.
- While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream and the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 5 servings |
| Calories | 600 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 59 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 89 mg |
| Sodium | 659 mg |
Reviews
I chose to use sweet Italian Sausage instead of beef, I used about 1/2 tablespoons of salt and added a tablespoon of anchovies paste. So much flavor in this sauce and was very fast to make. Great weeknight dinner
Great flavor but I missed having vegetables in the sauce. I will make again with onion, celery and carrots. Used scant two teaspoons salt.
I love Ina’s recipes! This recipe came out pretty good. I only used one tablespoon of salt,but I think I could have used a little less. Also, one cup of red wine was enough for me.
I always thought you had to cook a bolognese for hours so I just used Ragu sauce and spruced it up a bit with mushrooms, onions and ground beef. Now I almost never use jarred sauce. If I do, it’s only to extend this or another sauce if I didn’t make enough and need it NOW. Sometimes I use Italian sausage and hardly ever have cream so I use whole milk. This is my “go-to” red sauce. My husband loves it. When he asks for “spaghetti” this is what he gets—on spaghetti, rotini, fusilli, farfalle, penne, or campanelle which is my favorite. Barilla brand is my favorite pasta because it’s hard to overcook. I hope the Food Network doesn’t mind the plug. I don’t work for Barilla.
My go to for sure. Very easy and just wonderful. Family loves!!!!
Simply the best comfort food, any time!
I think the Tablespoon of salt is a typo. Definitely reduce to 1 tsp. Definitely one of the best Bolognese recipes I’ve ever made and picky eater hubby loved it. Totally delicious and yummy!!
Just made the sauce for dinner tonite. Like someone else suggested, I’d definitely cut the salt. It’s way too much. Otherwise good tasting!
Simple to make and turned out delicious
Even my 7 year old begged me to make it again immediately