Spaghetti Bolognese

I’ve already told you about what I consider to be the best tomato sauce ever, only 3 ingredients and pretty much as simple as you can get. But you know what’s even better? Turning this amazing tomato sauce into an even better bolognese! A bolognese, or ragú, is simply a meat based sauce for pasta. Forget that stuff in the jar, it’s loaded with sugar and sodium and lacks any real tomato flavor. For the same price, possibly even cheaper, you can create your own version at home that will revile any restaurant spaghetti you’ve tasted. I always make a huge batch then portion off the extras into storage bags and pop them in the freezer. That way I can put a bag in the fridge to defrost before I leave for work and when it comes time to cook dinner all I have to do is boil some noodles, or in this case roast up some spaghetti squash, and dinner is served in less then 15 minutes. Fast, easy and so tasty this recipe will instantly become a family favorite.

Spaghetti Bolognese
Serves 4 - 6

1 lb ground beef, I used grass fed organic but 80/20 ground chuck will work as well
1 small to medium sweet onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 28oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to your desired taste)
3 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an extra large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent. Toss in the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and begin breaking up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Tilt the pan to one side and using a large spoon, drain off some of the remaining fat in the pan.

Throw in the canned tomatoes and reduce the heat to low, pop on a lid and let the sauce simmer for at least 20 minutes. Low and slow is what you’re looking for here, the longer the sauce simmers the more flavors it will develop. I would even go as far as letting this go for an hour or so, but you should give it at least 20 minutes.

Remove the lid and test for seasoning. Cut the heat then add the butter, herbs and remaining tablespoon of olive oil and stir to combine.

Serve on top of your favorite noodles or if you’re like us, over roasted spaghetti squash. I know it doesn’t sound appealing but trust me, you can hardly tell the difference and you get way more vitamins and nutrients this route. Garnish with parmesan cheese if desired and serve along side a big green salad.