Rich, creamy, and loaded with tender ground beef and pork, this Easy Bolognese is the kind of pasta dinner I want when I’m craving something cozy but don’t want to spend the whole evening cooking.
There are nights when a long-simmered pasta sauce sounds wonderful, and then there are nights when I just want a big bowl of saucy noodles on the table. This recipe is made for the second kind of night. It starts with carrots, celery, and onion, adds plenty of beef and pork, and takes a helpful shortcut with a jar of marinara sauce.
The part I especially love comes at the end. A little heavy cream goes into the thickened meat sauce, making it richer and giving the tomatoes a wonderfully smooth finish. Spoon it over wide ribbons of pappardelle or tagliatelle, shower everything with freshly grated Parmesan, and dinner is ready.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This Bolognese has all the makings of a cozy pasta dinner without an all-day cooking project. The beef and pork make it hearty, the vegetables add another layer of flavor, and the marinara keeps the preparation refreshingly simple.
And then there’s the cream! Just ½ cup transforms the simmered tomato and meat mixture into a rich, velvety sauce that clings beautifully to wide noodles.
I also love how approachable the ingredient list is. There’s no wine to reduce or long list of specialty ingredients to track down. It’s mostly everyday ingredients brought together in one satisfying sauce.
Easy Bolognese Ingredients
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – for sautéing the vegetables and creating the flavorful base of the sauce.
- Carrot – adds a subtle natural sweetness that balances the savory meat and tomato sauce.
- Celery – brings a mild savory flavor and works with the carrot and onion to build the base of the Bolognese.
- Yellow Onion – finely minced onion adds sweetness and depth as it cooks with the carrot and celery.
- Ground Beef – 80/20 ground beef gives the Bolognese plenty of rich, beefy flavor, with enough fat to keep the sauce hearty and satisfying.
- Ground Pork – combined with the beef for an even richer, more flavorful meat sauce.
- Marinara Sauce – the convenient shortcut in this recipe! A jar of store-bought marinara provides the tomato base without requiring a long cooking time.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper – simple seasonings that bring out the flavors of the meat, vegetables, and sauce.
- Heavy Cream – stirred in at the end to give the Bolognese a creamy, silky finish and mellow the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Wide Noodles – pappardelle or tagliatelle are especially good with this thick sauce because their broad surfaces hold onto plenty of Bolognese.
- Parmesan Cheese – freshly grated over the finished pasta for a salty, savory finishing touch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, cook the vegetables and meat. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and ground pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is browned, about 8 minutes.
Next comes the sauce. Stir in the marinara sauce, salt, and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the heavy cream and remove from heat.
Finally, it’s time for pasta! Serve the bolognese over the cooked pasta and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Expert Tips
Give the meat time to brown. Once the ground beef and pork go into the pan, break them apart with your spoon and cook them for the full amount of time called for in the recipe. You want the meat browned before moving on to the marinara.
Start with a marinara you enjoy. Because this recipe uses a full 24-ounce jar, the marinara contributes a lot to the final flavor. This is a great place to use your favorite store-bought sauce.
Don’t rush the simmer. Those 30 minutes give the sauce time to cook down and thicken. Stir it occasionally and let it reduce before adding the cream.
Save the cream for the end. The heavy cream is stirred in only after the Bolognese has thickened. It gives the finished sauce its rich, smooth character.
Go for wide noodles. Pappardelle and tagliatelle are especially good here. Their broad ribbons give that thick, meaty sauce plenty of surface to cling to.
And don’t forget the Parmesan. A generous grating over the hot pasta is a simple finishing touch that works beautifully with the creamy tomato sauce.
Recipe Variations
The easiest way to put your own spin on this recipe is through the pasta and serving choices while leaving the Bolognese itself exactly as written.
Pappardelle and tagliatelle are both excellent choices, but you can pair the finished sauce with another pasta shape when that’s what you have available. For an extra cheesy bowl, bring additional freshly grated Parmesan to the table and let everyone add their own.
You can also make the sauce ahead and cook the pasta just before dinner. It’s an easy way to split up the preparation when you know you’ll have a busy evening.
Storage & Reheating
This Bolognese is a great sauce to have waiting in the refrigerator. Let leftovers cool, transfer them to an airtight container, and refrigerate them. When possible, keep the Bolognese and cooked pasta in separate containers so the noodles don’t continue absorbing the sauce as they sit.
To reheat the sauce, warm it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.
For longer storage, the Bolognese sauce can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw it before reheating, then prepare fresh pasta when you’re ready to turn it into dinner.
Serving Suggestions
For me, this Bolognese really wants a wide, twirly noodle. Spoon the hot sauce over pappardelle or tagliatelle and finish each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan. It’s hearty enough to be the main event all on its own.
If you’d like something alongside it, keep the sides simple. A crisp green salad is a nice contrast to the rich sauce, while roasted vegetables make the meal even more substantial. Crusty bread or garlic bread is also perfect for catching any Bolognese left at the bottom of the bowl.
For a relaxed family-style dinner, place a big bowl of pasta on the table with extra Parmesan nearby. Everyone can serve themselves, add as much cheese as they like, and dig in while it’s hot.
Recipe FAQs
1. Can I make this Bolognese ahead of time?
Yes, you can definitely make the Bolognese ahead of time. Prepare the sauce as directed, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, simply reheat the sauce and cook the pasta fresh for an easy dinner.
2. Do I really need both ground beef and ground pork?
Yes, I recommend using both for the best flavor. The 80/20 ground beef makes the sauce hearty and beefy, while the ground pork adds extra richness. Together they make a really flavorful Bolognese without needing a long list of ingredients.
3. Why is heavy cream added at the end?
The heavy cream makes the sauce extra rich and creamy and helps balance the tomato flavor. Make sure to let the marinara and meat simmer and thicken first, then stir in the cream right before removing the sauce from the heat.
4. What kind of marinara sauce should I use?
Use a store-bought marinara that you already love. Since you’re adding an entire 24-ounce jar, its flavor will really come through in the finished Bolognese. Just make sure you’re using marinara sauce and not plain tomato sauce.
5. What pasta works best with Bolognese?
Wide noodles like pappardelle or tagliatelle work great with this Bolognese. The thick, meaty sauce clings really well to the wide noodles, so you get plenty of sauce in every bite. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan and serve while warm.
Easy Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 3 ribs celery, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 (24-ounce) jar store-bought marinara
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound wide noodles, such as pappardelle or tagliatelle, cooked, for serving
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and ground pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is browned, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, salt, and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the heavy cream and remove from heat.
- Serve the bolognese over the cooked pasta and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
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Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 734kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 39g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 281mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g Per serving.
