Creamy Spaghetti Bolognese
This Creamy Spaghetti Bolognese has a rich meat sauce finished with a splash of heavy cream, which rounds out the tomatoes and makes the whole thing silky. On the table in about an hour, and it's even better the next day.
Servings: 6
Calories: 618kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti uncooked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef extra lean
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons basil chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the 1 pound spaghetti in generously salted water according to package instructions, until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the 1 pound ground beef and cook for about 3 minutes, breaking it up as you go, until no longer pink.
- Add the 1 chopped onion and 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 3 minutes, until the onion has softened.
- Add the 1 tablespoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Stir and cook for a full minute, until the paste darkens slightly and smells rich. Pour in the 1 cup red wine and cook for about 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off.
- Add the 28 ounces crushed tomatoes and 2 tablespoons chopped basil, then season with the ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat so the sauce is at a gentle simmer, then stir in the ¼ cup heavy cream. The sauce will deepen in color and thicken slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the pot and toss until every strand is coated, loosening with the reserved pasta water if needed. Let it sit for a minute, then top with the ½ cup grated Parmesan and the remaining 2 tablespoons basil.
Video
Notes
- The cream is the point. Add it with the sauce at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, since boiling can split it. It softens the acidity of the tomatoes and makes the sauce silky.
- Cook the tomato paste for a full minute before adding liquid. It's where a lot of the slow cooked flavor comes from.
- Save the pasta water. A splash loosens a sauce that's tightened up and helps it cling to the spaghetti.
- Tomatoes. Cheap watery crushed tomatoes give you a thin sauce and simmering won't fix it.
- Season in layers, after the beef, with the tomatoes, and again at the end.
- Grate your own Parmesan. Pre grated is coated with fillers that stop it melting properly.
- Longer is better. Twenty minutes is the minimum. Add a chopped carrot and celery stalk with the onion and simmer 90 minutes for a deeper sauce.
- Storage: fridge up to 4 days, sauce and pasta stored separately. Freeze the sauce alone for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 606mg | Potassium: 984mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 688IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 5mg
