Quick and Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

4.87 from 233 votes

With this Spaghetti Bolognese recipe, the technique of the Italian classic has been simplified so you can create a tasty meal in under 30 minutes.

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Keyword meat sauce recipe, spag bol recipe, Spaghetti Bolognese

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 487

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry another minute.
Add the ground beef; fry until fully cooked and no pink shows at all in the meat (about 8 minutes). Add the oregano and tomato paste and mix with the meat.
Add the tomatoes, parsley, and bring to a boil. Season with the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for at least 15 minutes (you can cook longer for a deeper flavor).
Reduce the heat to low, and cook for at least 15 minutes (you can cook longer for a deeper flavor).
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain and serve topped with the sauce and cheese (if using).

Begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is just shy of al dente. Reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
Add the drained pasta to the Bolognese sauce over medium heat, along with about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Gently toss for approximately 2 minutes or until the spaghetti reaches your desired doneness and is well coated with sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen.

Follow the instructions for the stovetop method through step 3. Transfer the sauce to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours. Cooking longer on low heat will allow the flavors to meld together more deeply.

Adding baking soda to meat maintains moisture by stopping the proteins from binding too fast (which dries out the meat).

To do this, mix a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of water. Combine well and then mix it into the meat before cooking.

TIPS

Seasoning the meat with salt and pepper adds an extra kick of flavor which is key to speeding up the cooking time of this sauce.
Make this sauce your own by adding whatever fresh or dried herbs of your choice or even some red wine which can be added and cooked down before adding the tomatoes.
When adding the dried oregano, try rubbing it between your palms to release maximum flavor.
Use good quality tomatoes when shopping for ingredients - don’t skimp, the better quality the tomatoes, the better the sauce will be.
If you have the time, simmering the sauce for longer will add a deeper flavor.
For extra depth of flavor, add a half cup of the wine of your choice before adding the tomatoes
To fix bitter sauce, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda or a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the sauce at a time (tasting between additions) until the acidity dissipates.