Weeknight Bolognese

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5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 15

Calories: 675kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

200 g Streaky Bacon Diced
2 Brown (Yellow) Onions Grated
2 Carrots Grated
2 ribs Celery Grated
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
10 g Fresh Oregano Chopped
10 g Fresh Rosemary Chopped
500 g Beef Mince 10% Fat
500 g Pork Mince 18% Fat
250 ml Dry Red Wine
200 g Sun-Dried Tomatoes Chopped
10 g Fresh Basil Torn
800 g Diced Tomatoes Canned
150 g Spaghetti Per Portion
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Parmigiano Reggiano Grated
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Drizzle
Cracked Black Pepper To Serve
Fresh Basil Garnish

Method

Place a large pot over high heat, add the diced bacon, and fry for 3 minutes, or until golden and the fat has started to render. Add the onion, carrot, celery, rosemary, and oregano, and sauté for 6 minutes, or until golden.
Add the beef and pork mince, and fry for 10 minutes, or until browned all over and the water content has evaporated (it'll continue cooking through fully over the long simmer ahead). Pour in the red wine, bring to a boil, and reduce for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, diced tomatoes, and a splash of water to rinse out the cans. Mix to combine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 30 minutes, undisturbed.
In the meantime, bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
Carefully remove the lid, mix to combine, check and adjust the seasoning, and continue simmering uncovered for 15 minutes, mixing regularly, until the mince is fully cooked through. Remove from the heat.
To serve, either add the cooked pasta straight into the sauce, bringing along some pasta water, or transfer the pasta to a mixing bowl with some pasta water and spoon over as much sauce as you'd like (this second method is best if you want to save leftover sauce for another day). Add reserved pasta water as needed to help the sauce cling to the pasta, and mix well.
Serve into bowls, garnished with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, cracked black pepper, and fresh basil leaves. Dig in!

Chef's Tips

Grate the onion, carrot, and celery rather than dicing them — it lets them melt into the sauce and cook down faster, building a much smoother base than if they were chopped.

Let the mince properly brown and the liquid evaporate before adding the wine — rushing this step leaves the sauce tasting watery instead of rich and concentrated.

If you're portioning the sauce for leftovers, keep the pasta and sauce separate until serving — mixing the whole batch means the pasta will keep absorbing liquid and go soft in storage.

Storage & Reheating

The sauce (without pasta) will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months, in an airtight container — it's a great one to batch cook. Reheat gently in a pot over low-medium heat, adding a splash of water or stock if it's thickened too much in storage, then toss through freshly cooked pasta.

Serving 500gCalories 675kcalCarbohydrates 51.5gProtein 54.9gFat 26.1gSaturated Fat 9.4gPolyunsaturated Fat 3.51gMonounsaturated Fat 10.14gTrans Fat 0.7gCholesterol 138.8mgSodium 898.7mgPotassium 2388.8mgFiber 9.3gSugar 18.9gVitamin A 387.47IUVitamin C 34.09mgCalcium 161.2mgIron 8.5mg