Make this traditional hearty Spaghetti Bolognese from scratch! This simple homemade pasta meal has rich and flavorful meat sauce made with a secret ingredient! It will become your family’s favorite Sunday dinner recipe!
This is my to-go recipe for homemade spaghetti Bolognese that is easy to make in just 40 minutes. I’ve been making this dish for years now and found a secret ingredient that helps bring the sauce to a whole new level.
What is the secret ingredient?
Depending on what brand of canned tomatoes you are using, they can sometimes be acidic and ruin the whole dish. I found that when you add a small piece of Parmesan rind to the sauce and simmer it together for about 20 minutes, the cheese starts melting and binds all the flavors together. So even if your crushed tomatoes are acidic, adding a parmesan rind will help to smooth out the sharpness and give another layer of flavor.
I like to use the same trick in my Marinara Sauce from Scratch and Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe.
How to make it
Preheat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add about 2 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add 1 chopped onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until they soften and start to caramelize. Then add 2 cloves minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add 1 pound ground beef and break it down into smaller pieces. You’ll need to cook it for about 10 more minutes or until it’s cooked through and doesn’t have any red or pink color inside.
Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes (I prefer fire roasted variety) and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Stir and bring to a light simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
Add the seasoning (½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp dried basil, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes) and stir.
Add a Parmesan rind, stir, and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes, constantly stirring.
While it’s cooking, we can start working on pasta. Boil a pot of water, season with water, and add 10 oz spaghetti. Cook according to the instructions until al-dente.
When the pasta is ready, drain the liquid, reserving 1 cup of starchy water. Then add the drained spaghetti to the sauce and stir together until evenly distributed. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a couple of tablespoons of reserved starchy water and mix again.
Sprinkle some grated parmesan and chopped parsley before serving.
Tips for Best Results
- Another trick to reduce the acidity in tomato sauce is to add a pinch of sugar. Make sure you add just a little bit, not to make it too sweet.
- To add more flavor, you also can add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like making a big batch of this dish as a meal prep and reheat in on busy nights. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days. After the it is cooked, let it cool off. Then place it in an air tight container and refrigerate.
To reheat Spaghetti Bolognese, preheat the pan on a low/medium heat and add a bit of olive oil. Then add the pasta, cover with a lid and let it reheat, stirring occasionally. I also like to add a little bit of water to the pasta while reheating and let it steam.
You can freeze it for up to 4-6 months. However, I like to freeze the sauce only, without added pasta. Pack the sauce in air tight containers or in zip-lock bags, then put in the freezer.
When ready to eat, place the frozen sauce in the refrigerator a night before, to allow it to thaw. Then you can reheat in the pan and add some pasta.
I like to serve it with some bread (like Potato Rolls Recipe, Easy Dinner Rolls Recipe, or Sandwich Bread Recipe) and some veggies on the side (like Parmesan Roasted Broccoli).
Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef 85-90% lean
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 10 oz spaghetti uncooked
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add 1 chopped onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until they soften and start to caramelize. Then add 2 cloves minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add 1 lb ground beef and break it down into smaller pieces.You’ll need to cook it for about 10 more minutes or until it’s cooked through and doesn’t have any red or pink color inside.
- Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Stir and bring to a light simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
- Add the seasoning (½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp dried basil, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes) and stir.
- Add a Parmesan rind, stir, and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes, constantly stirring.
- While the sauce is cooking, we can start working on pasta. Boil a pot of water, season with water, and add 10 oz spaghetti. Cook according to the instructions until al-dente.
- When the pasta is ready, drain the liquid, reserving 1 cup of starchy water. Then add the drained spaghetti to the sauce and stir together until evenly distributed. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a couple of tablespoons of reserved starchy water and mix again.
- Sprinkle some grated Parmesan and chopped parsley before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in January of 2021.
I modified this recipe just a little but it is simply amazing. This pasta dish is bursting in flavor. I 16 oz of spaghetti instead of the the 10 oz and used sausage instead of hamburger. I did not have the parmesan rind so just added grated parmesan to the sauce mix and turned out perfect. I love the red pepper flakes but it was a little spicy for the kids so may have to make two separate batches next time but definitely putting this on a regular rotation in the kitchen.