Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Pasta Bolognese
A good meat sauce makes plain spaghetti feel like something to sit down and enjoy. Crisp pancetta and browned beef give this one plenty of savory depth, while a little cream rounds off the tomatoes. Fresh basil and Parmesan finish the bowl with a welcome bit of brightness.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 16 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef · Pork
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Start with crisp pancetta
Let the diced pancetta brown in olive oil before adding the ground beef.
2. Reduce the wine
Simmer the red wine until reduced by half before stirring in the tomatoes.
3. Save some pasta water
Reserve cooking water before combining the spaghetti with the sauce, in case it needs loosening.
Get to know the ingredients
Finely diced carrot
Cook the carrot and onion until tender before adding garlic and Italian seasoning.
Undrained crushed tomatoes
Keep the liquid from the crushed tomatoes when adding them with the tomato sauce.
Heavy cream
Stir the cream into the thickened sauce and cook briefly before combining with pasta.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Pasta Bolognese
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Basil and Parmesan
Top the tossed pasta with thinly sliced basil and grated Parmesan, then serve immediately.
A little more help as you go
Break up the beef
Use a spatula to break the ground beef into small pieces as it cooks.
Drain before the wine
Remove excess grease after the vegetables and aromatics cook, before adding red wine.
A few questions you might have
When do I add the cream?
Stir it in after the tomato sauce has simmered and thickened, then cook a little longer.
Can the sauce be loosened?
Add a little reserved pasta cooking water if it's too thick when tossing with spaghetti.
Should I drain the crushed tomatoes?
No, the crushed tomatoes are specifically listed undrained for the sauce.
Does the pancetta cook with the beef?
Brown the pancetta first, then add the beef to the same pot and break it up.
When are the vegetables ready for garlic?
Add garlic and Italian seasoning once the finely diced onion and carrot are tender.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
