Linguine Bolognese

A traditional bolognese recipe, or linguine alla bolognese, is very meat-forward and, while delicious, could stand a healthy upgrade to make you feel good serving it to your friends or family on a weeknight. This Linguine Bolognese offers you the comfort of a rich pasta dish with lots of added vegetables.

Jump to:

• What You'll Need
• How to Make
• Variations
• FAQ
• Expert Tips
• How to Store
• How to Pair
• More Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Someone very close to me (who shall remain unnamed!) eats every vegetable on a plate first to "get it over with" so that they can then enjoy their meal. I served this dish to them and the whole dish was eaten quickly and happily with no special attention to the vegetables at all.

While it's not a feeling I understand (I LOVE vegetables), I considered this a major achievement. Across many different variations of this bolognese - with lamb, beef, bison, turkey - the result was the same: clean plates!

Do try different meats/what you have on hand, here. Lamb and bison were favorites in my house, but beef and turkey are much easier to come by and often less expensive. Find that block of ground meat at the back of the freezer on a busy weeknight and toss in the veggies you have on hand.

If you don't have zucchini, try some summer squash. If you don't have green bell pepper, try a red or yellow bell pepper, some celery, a jalapeño, or a handful of spinach!

This tomato-based meat sauce is designed to be super versatile, so try out different combinations and see what you like best.

What You'll Need

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Bolognese Sauce

• Ground Meat Bolognese is most commonly made with beef, but try branching out with what you have on hand or what your family prefers. Try lamb, turkey, bison, venison or pork here. All are excellent options.
• Vegetables I recommend the vegetables we have liked best below: zucchini, carrots, green bell pepper, and mushrooms. You can try making substitutions, omissions or additions like celery, yellow or red bell peppers or some summer squash.
• Canned Tomatoes I like to use whole peeled tomatoes from Cento that I crush by hand as I add the tomatoes to the pot.
• Onion Yellow or sweet onion will work here.
• Fresh Garlic
• Red Wine I would use something you would like to drink as it will impart that flavor to the sauce. If you don't have any red wine in your home, try a bit of white wine or even a tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil It's always nice to use the best quality olive oil you can, but it is less important in this dish. There are so many other interesting flavors that a very high-quality oil would be less noticeable here.
• Italian Seasoning I like a seasoning that has actual pieces of herbs and spices more than a powder. This is my favorite Italian seasoning of all time. It's sold by a company local to me with the nicest owners.
• Kosher Salt I buy this 3-pack of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and it lasts for a very long time. It's important to keep in mind that kosher salt will affect the flavor of your food differently—it is a different shape than table salt and sea salt, and delivers less "salty" flavor per teaspoon because it is less compact.
• Parmesan Cheese I like to use a block of parmesan cheese and grate over the dish once it is finished. This is the way to have the freshest, most flavorful cheese. You can also use pre-grated or pre-shaved parmesan cheese or a bit of another hard, salty cheese like pecorino.
• Fresh Herbs like basil and parsley are nice here, but optional.
• Chili Flake I use chili flake to wake up the dish with a bit of spice, but it is also optional.
• Fennel Seed If you haven't tried fennel seed in a tomato sauce, please give this a try. It adds a warm sweetness to the sauce.
• Bay Leaves I like bay leaves as they add a very subtly peppery, piney note to dishes and are also optional.

Pasta

• Linguine pasta, or another pasta of your choosing

How to Make

Step One Finely dice your vegetables. Chop the onion and slice garlic.

Step Two Add the veggies, season with salt, and cook for 4 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently until soft. Remove from the pan.

Step Three Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until soft.

Step Four Brown the ground beef or other meat, season with salt, and add the chili flake and fennel seed, if using.

Step Five Deglaze with the wine.

Step Six Add the veggies and crushed tomatoes to the pot or pan. Add the bay leaves if using. Season with salt and stir. Bring up to a boil and down to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.

Step Seven Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Make linguine.

Step Eight Once finished cooking, toss the pasta with the sauce. If the mixture seems too dry, stir in a bit of reserved pasta water.

Divide the pasta and sauce between your serving dishes, about a cup of the pasta per person, and serve the pasta bolognese!

Variations

• Different Proteins: Try this bolognese with different ground meats: beef, turkey, bison, lamb, venison, or pork. They all taste a bit different but are delicious in their own ways.
• Other Vegetables: Try adding vegetables you have on hand and omit anything you don't have. Don't have any zucchini? Try summer squash (or celery, or more bell pepper!)
• Tomato Paste For a slightly thicker sauce with a more concentrated flavor, add a bit of tomato paste in with the vegetables.
• Fresh Herbs: Try adding some fresh herbs just before serving. Parsley and basil are great options.
• Vegetarian or Vegan: Omit the meat completely for a vegetable-packed vegetarian dish or omit the meat and cheese for a vegan dish. You could also try this chickpea and walnut Vegan Bolognese from our friends at Veggie Inspired!

FAQ

Expert Tips

• Brown your meat well before adding the wine and tomatoes. This will add flavor and texture to your dish. If your meat is not properly browned, it can effectively boil (which no one wants).
• For the best al dente pasta, cook for one minute less than the box directions.
• If your sauce is a bit too thick, add some of the pasta water to thin it out.

How to Store

You can store your cooked bolognese for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. It reheats easily in the microwave or on the stovetop. Place in a saucepan and heat over medium-low to medium heat until it is warmed through.

Cooked linguine can be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days. I recommend cooking the pasta when you are ready to eat, but if you have some leftovers, feel free to store in the fridge and reheat them along with the sauce.

You can also freeze bolognese. The texture of the vegetables may suffer a bit, but it won't lose any nutritional content. It will maintain its quality best for about 3 months.

How to Pair

This pasta is excellent as a standalone meal. It is also great with:

• A simple garden salad with lemon herb vinagraitte
• A hunk of a good baguette
• Some cheesy garlic bread or gluten free focaccia

More Recipes You'll Love

Try these great pasta and pasta sauce recipes:

Penne al Salmone

Penne al Baffo

Spaghetti Arrabbiata

Tomato and Mascarpone Sauce

Aglio Olio e Peperoncino

Lobster Ravioli Sauce

Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta

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