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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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 😖
We were so bored of tasteless bolognese sauce until we tried this and I am now batch cooking 3kg of minced turkey as my son can’t get enough of this!
Hi Nagi
Currently have this on the stove simmering for tea. Smells delicious. I’m seriously considering changing my name to Nagi as this is the 6th or 7th recipe of yours I have made in the 5days (the family is loving it). From Vietnamese coconut caramel chicken to Chinese chicken and broccoli, Huli Huli chicken and pasta salad last night and to die for carrot cake, I feel like my passion for cooking has been reignited. THANKYOU
Are you from Australia too?!! I saw the woolies and coles mentioned and was so excited I’ve been following you years and absolutely love everything you come up with, especially this recipe! (Currently simmering this in the pan and it smells amazing!)
Hi Jodie, yes I live in Sydney 🙂 N x
I, LOVE, this recipe!!! I made it for work lunches 2 weeks in a row, because I loved it so much the first time! I’m a gluten free, dairy free person, so I used “Tinkyada” brand spaghetti noodles & no cheese 🙁 < sad face for the cheese). I also used "diced", roasted, canned tomatoes because I knew I wanted some tomato chunks in my sauce like my mom used to make. I mixed the sauce & noodles like Nagi suggests (I was skeptical too) & it all turned out perfectly!!! thank you Nagi! 🙂
Sounds fabulous Susan!! N x
Hello again Nagi
Commenting is becoming a habit, but a good habit at that! Made this for dinner during the week. You are spot on about making the time to let the sauce simmer. The flavours really did improve the longer I left it and the leftovers were even more enjoyable 🥰
Hi Nagi,
My partner and I LOVE your blog, we pretty much exclusively use it for recipes now, and tell everyone who will listen about it. We are also Dozer’s #1 fans. We made your spag bol tonight and it is delicious. Would you ever consider doing a post about your essential cookware and utensils. We are on the hunt for some good knives at the moment.
making this right now, I love all your recipes I’ve tried so far! Looking forward to this one
Made a batch for the freezer. Wow. This is good. Did the slow cooker option and added 1 teaspoon of Marmite… Tastes excellent. Thank you!!
Can I pressure cook it?
Hi Leonie, you can follow the slow cooker directions in the notes but simply transfer to a pressure cooker for 30 minutes. N x
I just made Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner tonight and it was amazing! I also made the cheesy garlic bread and that was lovely too!
Nagi, I have followed a couple of your reciepes and they always taste amazing!!
RTE has become my go-to site for all things good to eat.
And I do love the Dozer button for easily getting my daily dose of dog antics. Please don’t stop! Just saying for the record.
Made this for tea tonight and it was delicious. Added a handful of thinly sliced celery to the onions and 2 medium finely grated carrots and a handful of finely chopped mushrooms to the mixture. Tomorrow we’re making the giant samosa for tea. Can’t wait!!
Hello, If i were to make this in a pressure cooker, how would I do it?
Hi Tijana, you really want this simmering so the sauce reduces and thickens. You won’t get the same effect in a pressure cooker unfortunately. N x
I find if you pressure cook, then release and with lid off reduce liquid. It’s still fab.x
Is it meant to be 800g of tomato? ie 2x 400g tins for 500g of beef mince?
Hi Lauretta, yes 800g as per the recipe, I’ve just shown 2 x 400g tins in the picture 🙂 N x
I just found your wonderful website!! I was wondering how I might be able to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Hi Amy, you can use fresh tomatoes, but you’ll need to blanch and skin them before using – N x
This is my new bolognese recipe! I add the carrot, celery and bacon as suggested and cook it all in the slow cooker. I wouldn’t make it any other way now. I like to reduce it on the stove and add a tiny bit of milk before turning it into a lasagne. Your recipes are quickly becoming my go to!!
Hello, I am concerned about 2 beef bouillon cubes and the salt content. Have you tried it with the “no sodium” cubes and just added salt to taste? I bought the cubes without sodium and I’m worried it’ll be too bland. What are your thoughts?
~linda
Salt is flavor…
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried the low sodium cubes – it will definitely need some salt, just add it at the end to taste. N x
Made this for the first time today and it’s definitely not the last! This was SO good. I slow cooked it on the stove for two hours. The resulting depth of flavor was out of this world! I want this everyday!
What can I use if I don’t have stock cubes?
Hi Edwina, you really need stock cubes or powder to boost the flavour here. N x
Can you put the ground beef in raw to the slow cooker or does it have to be cooked before ? I made this once cooking it on the stove and it was delicious!
Hi Sally, I have slow cooker instructions in the recipe notes. You need to brown the beef first. N x
Great recipe , all mixed together at the end is the best. I always start dinner a little earlier to get the best flavour 😊