How To Make Spaghetti Bolognese (EASY meat sauce recipe) | Jono Ren

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner and lower in fat.

red wine

🥗Healthier: grape juice

💰Cheaper: beef broth

Grape juice provides sweetness without alcohol.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free alternative.

canned tomatoes

🥗Healthier: fresh tomatoes

💰Cheaper: crushed tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes add brightness, while crushed are often cheaper.

Dice up a brown onion, peel and quarter a carrot, then cut it into little cubes, and finely dice the garlic.

Preheat a pan over medium-high heat and drizzle in some olive oil.

Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a spatula, frying until browned, about 5 minutes.

After 1-2 minutes of frying, water will start to come out of the meat; keep frying until the water evaporates and you hear sizzling sounds.

Once the meat is browned, add the diced onion, carrot, and garlic, and sauté until the onions are browned and softened, about 5 minutes.

Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper.

Notice the sticky bits at the bottom of the pan; add 1/4 cup of red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up those bits with a spatula.

Cook out the wine for about 1 minute until the alcohol cooks away, leaving a sweet flavor.

Add in a sprig of rosemary, bay leaves, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, and 2 cans of canned tomatoes.

Wait for the sauce to come to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 45 minutes, allowing it to thicken.

While the sauce simmers, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, salt it, and add the spaghetti, cooking according to package instructions.

Check on the sauce; it should have thickened and reduced significantly after 45 minutes of simmering.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, use a frying pan over low heat to combine the spaghetti with the sauce, adding a ladle of sauce and mixing well.

Transfer the pasta to a plate, add another ladle of sauce on top, and generously grate Parmesan cheese over it.

Garnish with fresh basil.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens