When it comes to crafting a classic Spaghetti á Bolognese, the secret lies in selecting the right ingredients and allowing the flavors to meld over time. The best beef for a type of beef ragu bolognese is typically a mix of ground beef and pork, but in this case i went with just beef and chorizo, i think it strikes a nice balance and makes it easier to cook.
A traditional bolognese recipe starts with a soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery, cooked down until they’re soft, but i went with the more simple onions and garlic. Then, the meat is browned to give it more flavour and start releasing the fat from the meat, this with the tomato is what gives that creamier, thicker consistency. This combination, along with a slow simmer and proper seasoning, develops a rich, deep flavor that’s both savory and slightly sweet.
While spaghetti bolognese is a beloved classic, there are plenty of variations like this one, also you don’t always need to pair it with spaghetti, the sauce’s goes well with a variety of pastas. The best pastas for bolognese are those that can hold the sauce well, such as tagliatelle, pappardelle or even rigatoni.
Whether you’re making a quick midweek meal or have time to let the sauce simmer for hours, the result is a comforting, hearty dish that’s simple to make yet sophisticated in taste, you can make just the sauce in advance, portion and freeze an you will have a ready to eat super nutritious meal, just make any pasta a add the bolognese. It’s also versatile too use it to layer in lasagna, incorporate into casseroles, on sandwiches or of course simply enjoy over your favorite pasta. This is a dish that’s celebrated from Italy to Portugal and Brazil, each place adding its own twist, so let’s check my version! 🙂
Easy Beef and Tomato Bolognese
How about trying at home this delicious and easy spaghetti alla bolognese recipe.
Ingredients
- Beef – 300gr (minced)
- Chorizo – 100gr (or bacon)
- Tomatoes – 1 cans peeled (+/- 300gr tomatoes)
- Onion – 1
- Garlic – 4 cloves
- Oregano – A pinch
- Basil – 1 Leaf (Dried)
- Cayenne Pepper – A pinch
- Olive Oil – A few drops
- Tomato Paste – 1 Tablespoon
- Worcestershire Sauce – A few drops
- Smoked Paprika – A Pinch
- Garlic – A Pinch (Powdered)
- Spaghetti – To taste
- Balsamic Vinegar – A few drops
- Parmesan Cheese – To taste (Opcional)
- Salt – A pinch
- Pepper – A pinch
Directions
- Start by placing the chopped onion, four cloves of garlic and the diced chorizo in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion is golden brown.
- Then add the minced beef, season everything with garlic powder, paprika, oregano, basil leaf and a little salt and pepper, let the meat cook until it’s well browned.
- Turn down the heat and add the coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes, followed by a pinch of cayenne pepper, chili sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of grated Parmesan. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until everything is tender and to your taste.
- While the bolognese is cooking, make the spaghetti in a large saucepan with a pinch of salt, the amount you want +/- 200gr for 2 people, cook until the spaghetti is tender, then drain and season with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of garlic powder and pepper.
- When the bolognese is creamy enough, taste it and adjust the seasoning. Serve it hot on top of the spaghetti sprinkled with grated parmesan, bon appetit!
In a bolognese it’s always important to brown the meat, in this case beef, you need to give it colour, that char is flavour (it’s the maillard reaction), if you just join the tomato sauce with raw meat it will cook and probably taste good, but it will never taste amazing.
Some recipes like to add wine or beer, that’s fine, it’s a good combination with meat, but in my personal opinion, its best in a meat stew than in a bolognese, because in the bolognese the tomate is the king, and adding other flavours will take away from the tomato rich sauce, too many flavours is not always a good thing, everything i add to the pot is to enhance the meat or the tomato.
Other recipes add cream, butter or milk to make it more creamy, i also think that’s unnecessary in a bolognese, cream is great if you want a creamy sauce, that’s fine, but it will make the bolognese taste too sweet and too rich.
Lots of recipes add things like beef stock and beef stock cubes, i never do, its not needed if you use nice fatty cheap cuts of beef, these will render the fat and give that extra flavour that the bolognese needs, also if you think it needs more, just add bacon, chorizo or pancetta.
Also people like to add sugar to tomato sauces, it’s not necessary and most of the times it just makes it more like ketchup, and although nothing wrong with ketchup, if you cook tomato right (at least 10 minutes) and season properly the natural sugars of the tomate will rise to the top, no additional sugar needed, remember tomato is indeed a fruit!
This recipe for Easy Beef and Tomato Bolognese was originally created on BakeAfter.com.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 2200 calories; 130 g fat; 180 g carbohydrates; 80 g protein.Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how it turned out for you, have you ever had spaghetti alla bolognese? Leave a comment below ;D
