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Bucatini Bolognese

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Bucatini Bolognese with Beyond Beef | Bucatini Bolognese is a savory Italian dish combining hearty meat sauce and thick, hollow bucatini pasta. The sauce is made with vegetables and beyond beef, or regular beef and simmered to yield a rich and flavorful sauce. Pair with bucatini noodles for a fantastic weekend or date night dinner.

A plate of bucatini noodles with red bolognese sauce on top.
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Bucatini Bolognese is a hearty and comforting pasta dish with lots of flavor, gained by using fresh ingredients and taking the time to simmer the sauce.

These days, I make my Bolognese sauce using Beyond Beef, a fantastic meat substitute that's perfect for those looking for a plant-based alternative. You can use regular beef like my original recipe instructed - it's all up to you!

What is Bolognese sauce?

As noted above, Bolognese sauce, also known as ragù alla Bolognese, is a meat-based tomato sauce that originated in the northern Italian city of Bologna. The sauce typically consists of ground beef or pork, diced vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and a splash of wine. The sauce is then simmered for several hours, allowing the flavors to meld together and create a rich, meaty sauce.

What is the difference between Bolognese sauce and other tomato-based sauces?

Bolognese sauce is made with more ingredients than just tomatoes, like carrots, onions, celery, and notably, meat. The sauce has a long cooking time because the simmering is what helps meld all of the flavors together into a bold and delicious sauce.

A plate of bucatini noodles with red bolognese sauce on top.

What is bucatini pasta?

Bucatini is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta that hails from the central Italian region of Lazio.

How is bucatini pasta different from other pasta shapes?

While bucatini pasta may look similar to spaghetti or linguine, its hollow center sets it apart from other pasta shapes. The thickness of bucatini also makes it more resistant to overcooking, meaning it can hold up better to hearty meat sauces.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredients for bucatini bolognese on a white marble background.
  • beyond beef: I prefer to use Beyond Meat's Beyond Beef product, but classic Bolognese sauce is made with meat so you can use beef instead of a meat substitute, or a mix of beef and pork. The choice is all yours.
  • the vegetable base: this dish starts with a mirepoix which is a French term for a mix of diced onion, celery, and carrot. This is also called a soffritto in Italian cooking. This gives a good base flavor to the sauce.
  • tomatoes: I use a mix of tomato paste and diced tomatoes to build more flavor in this sauce, along with fresh garlic.
  • to finish: instead of milk, I like to use cream and stir it in at the end of simmering. I also like to finish my Bolognese with a grating of fresh nutmeg.

Substitutions

  • beyond beef: a beef and pork mix is commonly used in the classic version of this sauce. If you prefer to keep it vegetarian, use a different meat substitute or even experiment with homemade alternatives like lentils or mushrooms. I'm allergic to soy so I can't test Impossible plant based meat substitute but I would guess it would work here.
  • bucatini: this dish is typically made using a thick noodle with a lot of surface area to grab the sauce. Pappardelle is an excellent noodle choice for this dish.
  • gluten-free: to keep this dish gluten-free, use a gluten-free pasta.
  • mirepoix/soffritto: to make this sauce and other similar sauces easy to prep, I sometimes opt for a frozen mix of carrot, celery, and onion instead of chopping these ingredients separately. Try it out if your grocery store offers this.
  • plant-based: to keep the dish plant-based, use a plant-based cream product and a plant-based Parmesan cheese product or simply leave them out.
A plate of bucatini noodles with red bolognese sauce on top.

Instructions for Bucatini Bolognese

Prep Tips

  • Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop.
  • Chop the carrot, celery, and onion or use a store-bought blend.

To make this sauce you'll start with a quick sauté of the vegetables and beyond beef and then move right into a long simmer. Then simply boil your pasta 10-20 minutes before dinner and combine to serve.

Sauteing vegetables in a pot.

1. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until they soften, about 8-10 minutes.

Stirring spices into diced vegetables and beyond beef cooking in a pot.

2. Cook the Beyond Beef or beef and then add the tomato paste and garlic and cook them for one minute.

Stirring a red tomato sauce in a pot.

3. Add the water and tomato and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to keep the sauce at a simmer and let it go as long as you can - an hour or two is good. Stir occasionally.

Stirring cream into a pot of red sauce.

4. Add the cream and then grate in some fresh nutmeg if using.

Using tongs to mix noodles with red sauce in a bowl.

5. To serve I like to mix the sauce with the pasta per portion.

Using tongs to mix noodles with red sauce in a bowl.

6. Using tongs makes this easy. You can also just mix all of the noodles into the sauce or serve noodles and ladle sauce over top. I like it mixed together.

Serve the pasta as is or garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

A plate of bucatini noodles with red bolognese sauce on top.

Tips for making Bolognese sauce

  • depth of flavor: The beginning sauté time and long simmering time give this sauce a richer flavor than a quick cook would. To increase the depth of flavor even more, use red wine for your liquid and splash in a bit of balsamic vinegar.
  • patience: it's important to the end flavor of this dish to just let it simmer away. This is not a 20-minute recipe so just let it do it's thing on a Sunday afternoon. Your patience will be rewarded with a rich, deep flavorful sauce.
  • serving: I like this sauce with bucatini but you could also use pappardelle. Or use whatever pasta shape you have on hand to make things even easier.
  • leftovers: the sauce makes excellent leftovers - as the flavors sit together it gets even better!

What to serve with Bucatini Bolognese

I like to serve my Bucatini Bolognese with a side of Roasted Broccoli. You could serve this pasta dish with Roasted Green Beans, or a simple side salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing. Try my fluffy Focaccia bread recipe for a full spread.

Want pasta but quicker? Try my Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta.

Storage

Store leftover sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freeze the leftover sauce in an airtight container for about 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot, stirring occasionally.

A plate of bucatini noodles with red bolognese sauce on top.

FAQs

Can I freeze the Beyond Beef Bolognese?

Yes. This sauce freezes well. Store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave when you're ready to enjoy it again.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Yes. Ensure that all the ingredients, including the pasta, cream, and Parmesan cheese, are vegan-friendly by using a plant-based alternative. These are available in most grocery stores.

Recipe

A plate of bucatini noodles with red bolognese sauce on top.
5 from 2 votes

Bucatini Bolognese with Beyond Beef

Author : Jacqueline Piper
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6
A flavorful, set it and forget it bolognese sauce for your next pasta night.
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Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 tablespoon oil for frying
  • 340 grams Beyond Beef or ground beef
  • 2 carrot diced
  • 2 celery diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 28 oz crushed tomato
  • ½ cup water or vegetable stock, or red wine
  • ¼ cup cream 10%
  • 1 lb bucatini pasta cooked to al dente
  • Dash of nutmeg
  • Handful of fresh basil optional, for garnish
  • Fresh grated parmesan optional, for serving

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, and onion, and saute for 10-12 minutes until softened and slightly browned.
  • Add the beyond beef and cook for 8-10 minutes until darker in color and cooked through. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the crushed tomato and ½ cup liquid.
    Stir, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low and cover. Let simmer for an hour or two, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in cream and nutmeg, then serve.
  • Cover cooked noodles with the sauce, and stir together if you like. I do this in a bowl and mix each portion with tongs.
    Garnish with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan, optional.

Equipment

Video

Notes

Beef is traditional in this recipe so feel free to use that if you like to eat beef. You could also use a beef and pork mix.
For a second vegetarian option, you could use finely chopped mushrooms or cooked lentils instead of the Beyond Beef.
This sauce tastes better with a long cooking time but you can serve after half an hour or so if you're short on time.
Leftovers are even better. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, until hot, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition values don't include optional garnishes.

Nutrition

Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g

Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

This post was originally posted on April 12, 2016.

A plate of bucatini noodles with red bolognese sauce on top beside a pot of sauce.

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