This pasta bolognese is a hearty pasta dish loaded with a meaty beef and Italian sausage, sauce with carrots, celery, and onions and just the right amount of heat mixed with perfectly cooked al dente orecchiette pasta. It’s an easy, hearty meal everyone in the family will love.
When it comes to comfort food, the only people who do it better than my Grandma are the Italians. When I think of comfort food, Italian dishes like lasagna or chicken alfredo always come to mind. I love all things Italian, but one of my favorite dishes is anything made with bolognese sauce.
This hearty, rustic meat sauce is loaded with flavor and easy to make, which has always been my preferred combination. I love making this dish when the kids come to visit or just for a weeknight dinner. It’s so easy, and it makes enough that I don’t have to cook again for another couple of days!
Why You’ll Love This Pasta alla Bolognese
- Simple Ingredients: This rustic dish uses simple ingredients you’ll find in your kitchen or local grocery store.
- Easy: This is a simple one-pot dish that only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Hearty: With all its meat, veggies, and pasta, this is a hearty, filling dish.
- Versatile: Serve this dish for a weeknight dinner or bring it to your next potluck.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef and Italian Sausage: Ground beef and Italian sausage make the meaty, flavorful base for the bolognese sauce.
- Veggies: Carrots, celery, onions, and garlic add rich, aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Seasonings: A blend of basil, pepper, and red pepper flakes gives the sauce a deep flavor with a touch of heat.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste gives the sauce its classic tomato flavor.
- Orecchiette Pasta: The textured shape and pockets in the pasta help it hold on to the sauce.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Meat: You can use only ground beef, Italian sausage, or ground turkey for this recipe.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Pasta: Any textured pasta will work well in this recipe.
How to Make Pasta Bolognese
1: Cook the vegetables with olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until tender. Then, add the ground beef and Italian sausage, garlic, and seasonings.
2: Continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the meat mixture and return it to the pot.
3: Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir to combine.
4: Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Then, drain it and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
5: Add the pasta to the sauce and gently stir. Then, add the water a little at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
6: Serve with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Hint
It’s important to cook the pasta to al dente and no further. You don’t want it too soft, or it will break apart when you mix it into the sauce.
Storage
Refrigerate this pasta bolognese for up to 4 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
To reheat the pasta, defrost it overnight in the fridge if frozen. Then, cook it in a pot or saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through.
What to Serve with Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
This is a hearty meal in and of itself, so I recommend keeping the sides simple. Try vegetables like Italian green beans or lemon parmesan asparagus with garlic bread.
Tips
- A Dutch oven is the best way to cook this dish. These pots distribute the heat very evenly and hold on to the heat longer.
- Cook the vegetables before adding the meat to ensure they’re nice and soft.
- STOP cooking the meat as soon as it loses all pinkness. Overcooked meat is tough and rubbery.
- Cook your pasta to al dente, not more. If it is too soft, it will break apart when you mix it into the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bolognese sauce is a traditional Italian meat sauce made with ground meat, vegetables, and tomatoes. It’s far thicker and chunkier than spaghetti sauce and has much more rustic flavor and texture.
The secret to mixing pasta into sauce without breaking it apart is cooking it correctly. Cook the pasta to al dente, which makes it tender but firm. Then, gently fold the pasta into the sauce; don’t vigorously mix it.
You can multiply this recipe as much as you like, provided your pot is big enough. That makes it perfect for potlucks or large family gatherings.
Try This Pasta Bolognese Today
This pasta bolognese is a rustic, hearty dish that will leave everyone full and satisfied. AND it gets you in and out of the kitchen quickly. With that combination, this is one that you’ll be making again and again. Give it a try, and I know you’ll fall in love with it.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes You’ll Enjoy
If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ★★★★★ rating below and leave a comment! You can also pin it you to favorite Pinterest boards and save it for later.
Also, follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Pasta Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 ounce tomato paste
- 16 ounce orecchiette pasta
- 1 cup reserve pasta water, if needed
- Optional: Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch, oven over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté carrots, celery, and onions until tender.
- Add ground beef, ground Italian sausage, minced garlic, basil, pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes to the pot.
- Cook until meat and sausage are no longer pink and are thoroughly cooked. Drain and return to the pot.
- Add tomato paste to meat and vegetables, stir to combine.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Add pasta to the bolognese sauce and gently stir to combine.
- Pour reserved pasta water, a little at a time, into the sauce to obtain desired consistency.
- Optional: top with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- A Dutch oven is the best way to cook this dish. These pots distribute the heat very evenly and hold on to the heat longer.
- Cook the vegetables before adding the meat to ensure they’re nice and soft.
- STOP cooking the meat as soon as it loses all pinkness. Overcooked meat is tough and rubbery.
- Cook your pasta to al dente, not more. If it is too soft, it will break apart when you mix it into the sauce.
Nutrition
