Spaghetti Bolognese

The all-time favourite dish and the most searched for recipe on this site. This is not a true bolognese sauce, but a variation that is used anywhere north of Italy. I tend to prepare huge amounts and freeze what I don't eat. I've carefully measured the ingredients and played around with different amounts and found the recipe below to be the best - but please feel free to modify! This will give you a not too salty bolognese with a very slight sharpness to it - my kids eat it as well. If you like your food hot, add more of the chili paste. Also, some people like more garlic in their sauce, so feel free to add more.

image
5 star rating based on 6175 reviews

Ingredients for 4

As this web site can calculate ingredient amounts for both Metric and US visitors and for any amount of persons, some measures may appear a bit odd at times. We do round and try to be as clever as we can with the calculations... If you have any ideas on improving this system, we would like your comments on our contact page.

Bolognese Sauce

for

Show US units

Ingredients
1 kgchopped tomatoes (1100 grams)
350 gramsbeef mince
2 onionsonion (medium size, 160g each) (350 grams)
60 gramstomato concentrate
2 1/2 teaspoonshoney (12 grams)
2 3/4 clovesfresh garlic (medium size, 3g each) (8 grams)
3/4 teaspoonssalt (4 grams)
3/4 teaspoonshot chili paste (4 grams)
3/4 teaspoonspaprika (2.5 grams)
2 teaspoonsdried oregano (2 grams)
3/4 teaspoonsground black pepper (1.5 grams)
80 mlsolive oil
80 mlsred wine
2 splashesworcester sauce (4 grams)
Salt content: 0.2% (by weight, not counting salt in other ingredients)

Spaghetti

for

Show US units

Ingredients
800 gramsspaghetti
1 1/4 tablespoonbutter (16 grams)
3/4 teaspoonssalt (4 grams)
2.5 litreswater (2500 mls)
1 1/4 tablespoonolive oil (20 mls)
Salt content: 0.2% (by weight, not counting salt in other ingredients)
Serve with chopped basil and grated reggiano cheese

Method

Bolognese Sauce

Peel and chop the onions. Pour the olive oil into a sizeable saucepan, heat it and fry the onions until translucent. Add the mince and fry until the mince is brown and crumbly. Now add the wine, worcester sauce, spices, tomatoes, squeezed garlic, chili paste, honey and tomato concentrate. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, or, if you have the time, for 2 hours.

Spaghetti

Bring the water to a boil. Add the olive oil and salt, then the spaghetti.
I normally use a timer to keep track of the cooking time (check the pasta package) - it tends to be between 9 and 12 minutes depending on the variety.
Check at the lower end of the cooking time to see if they are "al dente" - meaning they still have a bit of a bite. Now put out the whole lot into a colander which you have placed in your sink. Turn on the cold water and rinse the spaghetti under the water (whilst they are still in the colander).
Put the saucepan back onto the hob and add the butter. Melt the butter, then put the spaghetti back into the saucepan and heat them up whilst turning them. The pasta will taste great, not stick together and be just right. You can also re-heat it if someone appears late for dinner.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Bolognese Sauce

Recipe PhotoOur ingredients.
Recipe PhotoTake the top and bottom off the onions.
Recipe PhotoPeel them
Recipe PhotoCut them into chunky slices
Recipe PhotoHalve the slices ...
Recipe Photo... and cut them into strips
Recipe PhotoIf your garlic has any green bits inside, take them out - prevents bad breath and indigestion.
Recipe PhotoPut the olive oil into a sizeable saucepan.
Recipe PhotoNow add the chopped onions.
Recipe PhotoThese are the dried spices to be added later.
Recipe PhotoWhen the onions have changed colour, add the mince
Recipe PhotoA nice splash of Worcester Sauce won't hurt.
Recipe PhotoFry the mince and the onions until the mince is nice and crumbly - we want to get rid of most of the excess moisture.
Recipe PhotoNow add the glass of red wine.
Recipe PhotoThese are the dried spices (salt, pepper, paprika, oregano).
Recipe PhotoAdd the tinned chopped tomatoes.
Recipe PhotoPress the garlic cloves into the sauce.
Recipe PhotoAdd the chilli paste ...
Recipe Photo... the honey ...
Recipe Photo... and the tomato concentrate.
Recipe PhotoLet it simmer on low heat for a minimum of 45 minutes - stirring occasionally so it won't burn. This is to reduce the sauce so it will be nice and thick and blend together. I normally simmer the sauce for two hours.
Recipe PhotoAh! You won't want to stop tasting ...

Spaghetti

Recipe PhotoBring the water to a boil, add salt and olive oil. Put the spaghetti into the boiling water. You can bend them around the saucepan once they have been in the boiling water for a couple of seconds. These photos show a single portion of spaghetti.
Recipe PhotoNothing wrong with using a timer - taste the spaghetti after the recommended cooking time is over. They should be "al dente".
Recipe PhotoWhen the spaghetti are to your liking, pour them into a colander and rinse them under cold water - yes, you want the pasta to actually cool down.
Recipe PhotoMelt the butter in your saucepan ...
Recipe Photo... and put the well-drained spaghetti back into the saucepan.
Recipe PhotoNow stir whilst re-heating the pasta in the melted butter until they are hot.
Recipe PhotoPresto - your spaghetti bolognese! This is my favourite dish of all times. Serve with grated Reggiano and some chopped basil.

Please leave some feedback by rating this page (1=worst 10=best)!
If you have any questions, please use the Contact From to ask me directly and I will be able to reply to you if you use that

Comments:
3mine's better than that oh yeah
10I strongly recommend this delicious recipe which you can twik to suit your exact taste. Wonderful!
10Very nice eating the sauce now
10great work! where did you learn this ?????? Please go to master chef.I beg you. :)
10Hello! I love this recipe, but why use honey and hot sauce?
10Love it. I actually add chili peppers instead of paste - gives it a real kick.
10wow, i love this step by step procedures, very easy to follow
10its gooooooood :)
10AmazIng it soooo works but NOT FOR KIDS
10Best recipe I've seen.
10So easy to follow instructions. Will cook tonight. Thankyou.
10I will try it .. !
10Nicest spaghetti Bol we've ever tasted,now use recipe on a monthly basis
10Error
10Wow! I'm happy with recipe!
5really hard to follow the recipe for kids under 14 years old. but very nice to eat. kind regards kids
10I cooked that for my family and they loved it! I just didn't add the honey.
7didn't like the sauce!!!!!
10My husband loved it, my son had 2 servings... Very happy with this recipe.. Will definitely keep this.. Thanks!
9It was definitely worth the two hour wait. I did not have chili paste, so I made do with 1/2 tsp of chili powder and 1/2tsp of red pepper flakes. Had a good bite to it but the honey kept it rounded. Well worth repeating!!
8I have travelled Italy n let me try it today for dinner!
10i want to start cooking right now!!!! Mmmmm
9deilicious
10rlly nice ppl u got to try dis!!!!!
10this recipe was amazing, tried it for my housemates and they loved it!!
10Love this always turns out yummy!
4It's nice... But not authentic ingredients as nz
8Its taste horrible.. But i would still like to pracise it.
10Making this for the third time. It's delicious. I, and my friends, thank you.
10Thanks now I know how to make bolognese spaghetti...thanks so much!
10Very good I have saved it to my recipe folder. I also like to add a good shake of Italian herbs.
10fab recipe - thanks, easy to follow
10I'm 11, first time cooking spaghetti bolognese. SHE SAID IT AS GREAT!!!!
10The best spaghetti I have ever cooked! I used this recipe several times. Thanks a lot! My advice: Use fresh tomatoes, if you can.
10nica pasta thanks for swing to me
10Always look up this recipe as so yummy and the whole family loves it!
10Love it
3It looks alright but way to fatty if you eat one serving of that you with gain at least 250g in weight even if you exercise.
8sound and look good, gonna try tonight.
10Whenever I cook spaghetti Bolobnese, I look up your recipe, cuz it's so yummy :D Love, from Mauritius
8it's allright
10Looks great will try 2morrow
10lol
10Hi
10very very nice recipe
10This is so good, My fussy eater partner keeps asking me to make it. Fantastic thank you
10This is the best recipe ever. Have used it 5 times now and all the family rave about it!
10i love this pasta...hahaha
10scrumshis
10I never cook.this was my first bolognese I thought id surpise my girlfriend after see finish work. I think I was more immpressed than she was it was delicious. Thank you