Everyone needs a great everyday Spaghetti Bolognese recipe, and this is mine! The Bolognese Sauce is rich, thick and has beautiful depth of flavour. It’s perfect for a quick midweek meal but even better if you can simmer it for a couple of hours! Serve it over pasta, stuff into jacket potatoes, make an epic Lasagna or Baked Spaghetti Pie!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Spaghetti Bolognese
We Aussies have a thing about shortening words. Good day is g’day. Pavlova is Pav, afternoon is arvo, mosquitos are mozzies. Sharon is Shazz, Nagisa is Nagi (that’s yours truly).
So it is thoroughly Aussie to shorten Spaghetti Bolognese to Spag Bol!
And here she is – my Spag Bol. Rich, thick, incredible flavour in the sauce even if you only have time for a quick 20 minute simmer. Though if you can slow cook for a couple of hours, it really takes it to another level!
What goes in Spaghetti Bolognese
I’ve been loyal to this Meat Sauce recipe since I first learned to cook when I was a teenager. There are 3 little things in this recipe that might be a bit different to Bolognese recipes you’ve seen around:
1. Worcestershire sauce: it just adds that little extra something-something. I get antsy if I get caught in a situation where I have to do without;
2. Beef bouillon cubes (beef stock cubes) for extra depth of flavour in the sauce, to compensate for this being an everyday midweek version rather than a traditional slow cooked Bolognese Ragu which starts with a soffrito (onion, celery, carrot slowly sautéed) as well as pancetta.
3. Sugar, if needed: just a little bit goes a long way to transform the sauce if you happen not to be using high quality, sweet Italian canned tomatoes. Supermarket canned tomatoes here in Australia are notoriously sour. Especially the Australian ones – it pains me so much to say that, but it’s true.
How to make Bolognese Sauce
The making part is straightforward and quite quick too:
Saute garlic and onion – about 3 minutes;
Brown the beef – about 2 minutes;
Add everything else, give it a good stir then simmer for 20 minutes minimum (midweek), up to 3 hours (weekend indulgence!). Slow cooking makes the beef incredibly tender and the sauce develops extra flavour.
Difference between Bolognese and Meat Sauce?
Different name for the same thing! You’ll find Bolognese made all sorts of ways all across Italy and all around the world, but essentially mince meat (usually beef, sometimes combined with pork or veal) in a tomato based sauce flavoured with herbs.
The “proper” way to serve pasta: toss with the sauce
As with all my pasta recipes, I include a step to toss the pasta IN the sauce, rather than just placing pasta in bowls and spooning over sauce.
This makes the Bolognese sauce emulsify, so it thickens, becomes glossy and clings to the spaghetti. No more watery sauce at the bottom of your pasta bowl! This is how chefs and Italians make pasta. Try it once, you will be converted!
But it is an optional step. Sometimes, you just don’t have the energy to clean yet another pan. I hear ya. 🙂
What to serve with Spaghetti Bolognese
For a classic Italian feast, serve this with:
Garlic Bread – or even more indulgent, with Cheesy Garlic Bread (or go over-the-top with Crack Bread). Or, for a more traditional start, real-deal Italian Focaccia.
Garden Salad with Italian Dressing (hit of crisp fresh salad essential!)
Tiramisu to finish with an Espresso Martini on the side
For a super quick side salad option, make this Rocket Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Dressing. Probably my most made side salad because it’s literally a 2 minute effortless-no-chop salad!
This recipe is the way I have been making Spaghetti Bolognese for decades (gosh it’s scary saying that!!). I really love it, and I think the sauce is rich and loaded with flavour, especially for a 30 minute Bolognese recipe.
Though if you have the time, slow cook it for a couple of hours. The flavour develops and the meat becomes so luxuriously tender.
Either way, I hope you love it as much as I do! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 1 lb / 500g beef mince (ground beef) OR half pork, half beef (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine (sub water or beef broth/stock)
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled OR granulated beef bouillon (Note 2)
- 800g / 28 oz can crushed tomato (or tomato passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp white sugar , if needed (Note 3)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
To Serve
- 400 g / 13 oz spaghetti , dried
- Parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté – Heat oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes or until light golden and softened.
- Cook beef – Turn heat up to high and add beef. Cook, breaking it up as your go, until browned.
- Reduce wine – Add red wine. Bring to simmer and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the alcohol smell is gone.
- Simmer – Add the remaining ingredients. Stir, bring to a simmer then turn down to medium so it bubbles gently. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes (no lid), adding water if the sauce gets too thick for your taste. Stir occasionally.
- Slow simmer option: really takes this to another level, if you have the time! Add 3/4 cup of water, cover with lid and simmer on very low for 2 – 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. (Note 5) Uncover, simmer 20 minutes to thicken sauce. (Note 6 for slow cooker)
- Taste and add more salt it desired. Serve over spaghetti – though if you have the time, I recommend tossing the sauce and pasta per steps below.
Tossing Sauce and Spaghetti (optional, Note 4)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook per packet directions MINUS 1 minute.
- Scoop out a mug of pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
- Add pasta into the bolognese sauce with about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of reserved pasta water over medium heat. Toss gently for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, or until the spaghetti turns red and the sauce thickens.
- Divide between bowls. Garnish with parmesan and parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
* Scaling recipe up (use auto recipe scaler) – If you double the recipe (or more!), then brown the beef in batches. If you try to cook it in one batch, you will end up stewing it rather than browning!
* Slow cooker: This is really fantastic made in a slow cooker! The meat becomes so tender and the sauce has incredible flavour. At step 3, cook until the wine liquid disappears completely, then transfer it into the slow cooker at step 4 and cook for low for 6 hours.
* Variations: Here are some ideas for ways to take this up a notch, if you are so inclined!
– Finely chop 1 carrot + celery and saute that with the onion to make a softrito. Cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes for extra amazingness!
– Add finely chopped bacon (smokey is the ultimate!) or pancetta, cook with the onion
– 1 tbsp soy sauce (my mother did this, I sometimes do! I’ve seen it in some chef recipes)
– Fresh or dried red chilli
– Bolognese gets better the longer it is cooked, and it’s even better the next day! 7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings, including pasta.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new commentary, new photos and most importantly, recipe video! No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare! Too many readers love it as it is. 🙂
More family favourites we’ll love forever
Meatloaf – so much more than just a hunk of meat in loaf form!
Life of Dozer
You know those muddy looking ponds on golf courses? He loves ’em 😖
This recipe is brilliant! My spag Bol was alright before but this was so much better. Simmered for about 90 mins and it was very more-ish
Would this recipe work with chicken mince?? Shouldn’t eat beef…..
I make mine with Angus beef mince, Kurobuta pork mince and a little bit of pancetta. Fish sauce, while not traditional, adds a lot of umami.
AWESOME. I have a made it twice and will be in the dinner rotation forever.
I found this recipe a few weeks ago, and I was skeptical about making it. I usually make the NYT recipe https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015181-marcella-hazans-bolognese-sauce.
But this recipe is FAST and even better. The only difference between the way I’ve made it and the way its written is that I take the onion, add in garlic, two carrots and two stalks of celery and place in a food processor, I then follow her instructions re browning onion (except with these extra ingredients). I also only use one cube of beef bullion (because it has such high sodium contents in the USA). It is awesome. It is fast and my kids love it!
Loved it! It will definitely be a regular.
OMG this recipe is sooooo good! Best spag bol recipe I’ve come across. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe at least a dozen times. It is my go to recipe for bolognese. Last night I decided to get creative. I through a little bit of spice in with the meat (a tad each of paprika, ground clove, cinnamon, and tumeric). Then once everything was boiling I added a tablespoon of italian herb mix, and a half teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and parsely. The flavor ended up a bit strong, so to brighten it up in the end I chopped two handfuls of cherry tomatoes in the food processor, and threw those in, along with a heaping tablespoon of honey. The result was really nice!
Delicious and so easy! I had enough time to cook it for longer (2.5+ hrs) and the leftovers were even tastier the next day!
We really loved this recipe, thank you so much for sharing it!
Boiled the amount of spaghetti listed on recipe… only mixed half of it in the Bolognese, and that was the ideal spaghetti to Bolognese ratio for me… Thanks for the recipe!
How do you do it Nagi?
I thought I had my bolognese recipe down pat…except I didn’t. It was adequate, at best.
Then I come across your recipe and what a night and day difference! I honestly don’t know what it is you do, because despite having used almost identical ingredients (worcestershire sauce, stock cubes, etc), my pre-Nagi bolognese never tasted like yours.
You’re a wonder!
I double the ingredients to freeze into 2 serve portions. My go to tomato and paste is the Italian brand Mutti in Australia. Beautifully sweet and cuts the need for sugar.
I also prep first on the stove top and then transfer to a slow cooker for 6 hours on low. Yes it’s a long time, but wow, the flavour is on another level
Love this recipe.
After a too-hot-to-cook summer, I have another huge pot of this simmering away on the hob at the request of my daughter. I have made enough for four generous family meals and also a veggie version (I use oxo no-beef stock cubes and green lentils in substitution) for the eldest son. Now my freezer isn’t storing ice and lollies, it will soon hold several Tupperware containing Nagi’s Spag Bol. I’ll add Nagi’s Chilli tomorrow (I only have one pot huge enough for a batch cook). This is my forever recipe too (they both are). Everyone loves it without exception. I always serve it with the Mega Italian Salad and garlic bread. Delicious!
This recipe is incredible! I’ve made lots of bolognese recipes over the years that are super time consuming and delicious – this one is so fast and probably my favorite so far. This is a keeper for sure!
I’ve been cooking Spag Bol for 50+ years – always “tweaking” it along the way. I truly think this is the BOMB! Thanks Nagi – again!!!
A couple of weeks ago my freezer died…discovered on a Friday evening. After packing the meat in ice for it to slowly defrost and with a new freezer delivered I started cooking all recipes from this website: Spaghetti Bol, Shepherds Pie, short ribs, Massaman lamb shanks, 12 hour lamb shoulder, flatiron steak with chimichurri sauce, stroganoff and meatballs. Every recipe is a winner and I also have so many meals made in my freezer! And my Butcher Crowd delivery is coming at the end of the week!
My husband always asks “Is it from Nagi?”.
So tasty! Love all the flavour in this bolognese. It’s now on my family’s favourite list. Thank you for great recipes, always and awesome directions and notes that are easy to understand. 🙂
I will not make SAG BOL any other way now.
This is the ULTIMATE!!
I have made it three times since buying your book 6 months ago and it just amazes me as much as the first time I had it!!
Your cook book has been life changing!
I’ve been making this for years to impress guests (slow simmer all the way!)
Though I use 0.5 extra onion, 4 extra garlic cloves and been blending san marzano whole peeled tomatoes for the sauce.
Yum the best!
Made this exactly as written, except left it on the stove for about 50 minutes and then stirred through half a cup of milk about 3 minutes before taking it off heat to make sure it was warm. Best spaghetti sauce I’ve ever made!