Everything you want from a slow-simmering bolognese in about a third of the time. Caramelized ground beef gets seasoned to perfection then cooked down with carrots, onion, garlic and crushed Calabrian peppers. The peppers don't really make the pasta spicy, rather help lift the dish, balancing out the creamy richness and giving you the perfect savoury bite. Serve it with some fresh ricotta and a drizzle of olive oil.
Equipment
Here's everything you need to make weeknight bolognese at home:
- large pasta pot
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- dutch oven or thick-bottomed sauce pan
- wooden spoon
Find the full ingredients list and instructions below!
Cooking Tips
- Use the best quality crushed tomatoes that you can afford. Everyone is on a different budget and that's OK — but if you can swing it, look for a product that's made from organically grown, vine-riped tomatoes with a minimal ingredients list (ideally just tomatoes and salt—and yes, no herbs either!) While it will work with just about any can of crushed tomatoes, because there are few ingredients in the recipe the quality of those ingredients makes a difference in the final product. Better tasting tomatoes will give you a better sauce! Bada bing, bada boom!
- Why crushed Calabrian peppers in oil? Traditional bolognese recipes rely on slow-simmering to draw flavour. But without time we need something rich and umami to fill in the gaps. Caramelizing the ground beef helps in this department, but the crushed Calabrian peppers give it a instant depth and complexity. You could achieve something similar by using harissa, gochujang or even red curry paste.
- Like this recipe and want to trying something similar? Look no further than my Lazy Girl Eggplant Parmesan.
Easy Weeknight Bolognese
I call it my lazy girl bolognese because it's really that easy
Ingredients
Method
- Bring a large pot of salty water to boil.
- Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven, or thick-bottomed sauce pan, on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoon olive oil and 600g ground beef. Season generously with salt and let cook on one side until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, prep your vegetables. Dice a medium onion. Smash 4 cloves of garlic. Then, scrub and dice a medium carrot. You could peel the carrot if you want, but it's not not necessary if you scrub them well.
- When the beef is brown and caramelized, flip it and break it up into smaller pieces. Continue cooking on medium-high until no pink remains and ⅓ of the mixture is caramelized and crispy.
- Move the beef to one side of the pan. To the fat on the opposite side, add your carrot, onion and garlic. Season with a big pinch of salt. Let cook until softened. When the vegetables are soft, mix in the beef and add 2 tablespoon crushed Calabrian peppers. Stir to combine.
- Once incorporated, add 1 796mL can of crushed tomatoes. Fill the can ½ way with water, swooshing the water around to lift any remaining tomato. Add the tomato-y water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook while you make the pasta.
- By now, the water should be boiling. Drop 500g pasta and cook until al dente by following package instructions. When the pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain the rest. Toss the pasta in a drizzle of olive oil to ensure it doesn't clump up and stick together.
- Add ¾ cup cream to the tomato sauce and bring back to a simmer. Stir in ½ cup grated parmesan, then taste and adjust seasoning. When the sauce tastes delicious, turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta. Mix until the pasta is covered and saucy, adding a little bit of the pasta water, if the pasta sauce needs a little loosening.
- Serve with a scoop of ricotta and a drizzle of olive oil. Or some parmesan!
Tag me @stefsdinnerdate on Instagram and TikTok if you make it! I love seeing your creations.
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