Textual Chef Textual Chef

Spaghetti Bolognese

Classic Italian pasta with a rich, hearty meat sauce simmered with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs.

60 minMediumServes 4520 cal/serving

ItalianDinnerStovetopHigh ProteinLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (14 oz cans)
  • 8 oz spaghetti
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the 8 oz spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

  2. 2

    While the pasta is cooking, heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat.

  3. 3

    Add the 1/2 lb ground beef to the hot oil and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the ground beef has reached an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for food safety.

  4. 4

    Add the diced 1/2 onion to the skillet with the beef and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

  5. 5

    Add the minced 2 garlic cloves and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.

  6. 6

    Pour in the 1 can crushed tomatoes (14 oz cans) and stir to combine. Add the 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

  7. 7

    Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, partially covered, for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken slightly.

  8. 8

    Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.

  9. 9

    Serve the sauce over the cooked spaghetti. Optionally, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Italian Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

How much time should I plan for Spaghetti Bolognese?

As written, 60 minutes: 15 of prep and 45 of cooking. The longest single stretch is step 7 (30 minutes): "Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, partially covered, for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally."

What internal temperature should Spaghetti Bolognese reach?

For Spaghetti Bolognese, the target internal temperature is 160 F (about 70 C), given in step 3. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

Why save the pasta water for Spaghetti Bolognese?

Step 1 reads: "Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water." The water is full of starch. Added back as step 1 directs, it emulsifies the sauce so it clings to the pasta instead of pooling in the bowl.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef in Spaghetti Bolognese?

Yes. Choose turkey that is not extra-lean and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, because turkey has less fat and browns more slowly. Season it a little harder than you would beef. As written, the entry for Spaghetti Bolognese uses 1/2 lb ground beef.

Can I make Spaghetti Bolognese gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Spaghetti Bolognese is 8 oz spaghetti. Swap the pasta for a gluten-free one, cooked a minute short of its package time. Everything else proceeds as written.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.