Bolognese Style Pasta Sauce | An easy, hands free, comforting pasta dish. Quick prep of roughly chopped vegetables and then a long simmer time on the stove top for well developed flavors - like a hug for dinner.
Stressful situations sometimes make me want comfort food. For some people that translates to cake. Or cookies. Not me, I’m usually savory all the way. Enter this Bolognese Style Pasta Sauce.
This sauce is more to me than just the final product. It’s about gathering fresh ingredients, chopping, sauteing, and simmering. The process brings me such calm.
It’s a fabulous tasting meal, but also an afternoon of the best smells coming from my kitchen. And it’s about sitting around the table with my family, having a glass of wine, some crusty bread, and sharing our days.
But this recipe is for any day. It's for those awesome days that you just want to top off with a great meal. But it’s especially for those days when you need it. You know when those days happen.
For me, it was last week, when what seems like a thousand different things are colliding while we search for a new place to live. For you it might be the end of a busy work week. Maybe your little one is teething, maybe you're under the weather yourself and you want to quickly throw something together and let it sit all day and do the work for you while its gets better and better tasting. It's a great sauce for lasagna as well.
This Bolognese sauce takes time, but it’s mostly hands off time. It’s not fussy. And it is so rewarding. Not the best at chopping? It doesn’t matter. Hastily chop those vegetables and get them in the pot. Easy. Make a double batch and freeze some for later. Even easier.
Enjoy! And tell me in the comments, what is your go to comfort food?
How To Make Bolognese Style Pasta Sauce
Brown the beef in a large pot with a lid. Leave it out for vegetarian.
Toss in the vegetables and let them cook for a few minutes.
Add the tomato products and liquid and then simmer for an hour or even longer. That's it.
Bolognese Style Pasta Sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil (for frying)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 carrot (diced)
- 2 celery (diced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 75 g left over sausage (optional, cubed)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomato (28 oz)
- ½ cup water/stock/wine
- ¼ cup cream (10%)
- Dash of nutmeg
- Handful of fresh basil (optional, for garnish)
- Fresh grated parmesan (optional, for serving)
- Cooked pasta (your choice, for serving)
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, brown beef. Drain Excess fat.
- Add carrot, celery, onion and sausage, cooking and stirring for 5-8 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.
- Add tomato paste, crushed tomato and ½ cup liquid. Stir, bring to simmer, cover. Let simmer for 45-60 minutes (or longer if you have the time).
- Stir in cream and nutmeg, then serve.
- Cover cooked noodles with the sauce, stir together if you like. Garnish with fresh torn basil and freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.
Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!