When I say I want spaghetti I mean a real bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese. This dish is my comfort food. I have been eating this ever since I was a little kid. My dad cooked this sauce for my mom on their first date – that is how good this is.
I really think it is hard to find a good Spaghetti Bolognese out on the town. Usually it never contains the balance between tomatoes, meat and spices. This sauce is a meat sauce with tomato, it is not a tomato sauce with meat.
Don’t get me wrong, there are so many variations of the Bolognese Sauce; everyone probably has some kind of recipe with a twist. But the classic sauce as set forth in the archives of the Bologna chapter of the “L’Accademia Italiana della Cucina” is made with a mixture of minced or ground meats, tomatoes, tomato paste and milk or cream.
When I make this I usually make this on a Sunday in a large pot and have it for the week. This sauce gets better the longer you cook it. Minimum is 1 1/2 hours but it gets better at 3 hours and the sauce is even better the day after you cook it.
There are many variations you can do to this recipe. Sometimes I add sausage to it and even jalapeno peppers to give it a little kick. You can use turkey instead of meat; add mushrooms or other vegetables too. But the recipe below is always the same for the base.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Yields: 4-6 people | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion – chopped
1 large carrot chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 parsnip
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 lbs ground pork or veal
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup milk or cream
14 oz can tomatoes – chopped without the juice
1 cup beef broth
3 tbsp tomato pasteFor Serving:
1 lbs Spaghetti
1 cup grated Parmesan cheeseHeat oil in a 12?noncorrosive skillet over medium heat.
Chop all the vegetable to your desired size, I prefer them small cubed. Add vegetables (onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and garlic) and sauté for at least 10 minutes until all vegetables are sweating.
Add all spices (nutmeg, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, allspice, paprika, bay leaves. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add all the meat, breaking up meat into fine pieces, just until meat loses its raw color, about 6 minutes. Do NOT brown meat.
Stir in wine. Cook until wine is evaporated, 4 – 6 minutes. Stir in milk and reduce heat to medium and cook until meat is evaporated, about 3 – 4 minutes.
Press tomatoes and their liquid through a sieve into a bowl. Discard seeds. Stir sieved tomatoes, beef broth, tomato paste into meat mixture.
Heat to boiling, and then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is evaporated and the sauce is thick, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove and discard bay leafs.
Taste for more of any of the spices, especially salt.
Just before serving time cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water just until al dente by following the instructions on the packaging.
Ladle meat sauce over spaghetti in a bowl and sprinkle with cheese.
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Miel Abeille says
February 17, 2011 at 10:08 pmBolognese is something I’ve been wanting to try, and I keep seeing recipes for it.. I think it’s a sign. Next day off, I’m making a pot. Great recipe — love that it’s authentic!
Michelle @ Find Your Balance says
February 18, 2011 at 5:22 amWow, definitely some flavors I’d never think to add to Italian food – nutmeg? Looks yummy and comforting!
Alena says
February 18, 2011 at 7:10 amMy yogurt for lunch isn’t looking quite as tasty now. All I want for lunch now is this!
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says
February 18, 2011 at 8:48 amI just love a good bolognese sauce. Glad to see that you include the nutmeg and milk/cream in your recipe. Those two are very subtle but make a huge difference in the sauce. Yummy!
everton terrace says
February 18, 2011 at 9:33 amI’m a vegetarian who is allergic to gluten but my daughter, different story. Spaghetti is her most favorite food. Am going to forward this recipe to her, should make her day 🙂
carolinaheartstring says
February 18, 2011 at 12:35 pmWhat a wonderful list of ingredients your sauce has. I bet it tastes wonderful.
Carol and ArtMuse Dog says
February 18, 2011 at 6:00 pmI just had this dish pasta dish ironically tonight for dinner at a restraunt nearby ~ I always order this dish when I go there ~ it is excellent and they serve olive bread (homemade) and pasta is homemade ~ it is truly Delishhh ~ thanks for the post ~ hugs and namaste, artmusedog (from blogfrog) *_*
Reeni says
February 18, 2011 at 6:45 pmThis is one of my favorites! It’s a superior comfort meal. And you are so right it always tastes better the next day.
Mona thompson says
February 18, 2011 at 7:10 pmHow have I not known about you? Not sure, but glad to have found you. Bolognese is one of my all time favorites. I WILL BE TRYING THIS RECIPE.
Maddie says
February 19, 2011 at 5:41 amOh my word; this looks amazing. We always had a basic spaghetti with meat sauce growing up—browned ground beef plus jarred pasta sauce—but I’ve never tried a bolognese with different kinds of meat, plus cream and tomatoes.
That’ll have to be next on my list, though, because it really sounds ethereal!
Eliana says
February 19, 2011 at 6:11 amBolognese is my absolute favorite sauce to have with pasta and this one looks perfect to me.
chrysta says
February 20, 2011 at 8:03 ammmMM! Yes I totally agree that the sauce is always better the next day! It allows the flavors to really marry. Your pictures are beautiful!
Christoffer says
February 21, 2011 at 1:21 amHello!
Nice blog!
Christoffer from Sweden 🙂
christoffersmat.blogspot.com
Charlotta says
February 21, 2011 at 6:26 amYum! I totally agree. Spaghetti Bolognese is wonderful and nurturing food. I always make a big batch and put some in the freezer for a cold and gloomy day. Though of course the best serves are straight out of the pan!
I will definitely try your recipe – thank you for that!
Big hugs and thanks also for your comment today!
x Charlotta
jasmine says
May 9, 2011 at 9:27 ami can also share another way of enjoying a healthy spaghetti with zucchini and “not a meat balls”…check this out…http://drritamarie.com/blog/
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Dan says
November 9, 2015 at 9:03 pmThat isn’t how it’s served… Pasta and sauce should be mixed.