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A bowl of linguine bolognese topped with parmesan cheese and parsely sits on a blue and white linen.

Linguine Bolognese

Rich, hearty, versatile linguine bolognese packed with veggies for a delicious, quick, family-friendly meal.
5 from 39 votes
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Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8 small or 4 large
Calories: 393kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat beef, bison, lamb, venison, pork or turkey
  • 12 ounces linguine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
  • 4 cloves garlic sliced
  • 1 small onion yellow or sweet, diced small
  • 1 small carrot diced small
  • 1 small green bell pepper diced small
  • 1 small zucchini diced small
  • 1 cup mushrooms about 6-7, diced small
  • 28 ounces canned tomatoes crushed
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning a seasoning with bigger pieces of seasoning is best instead of a powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fennel seed optional
  • pinch red pepper flake optional
  • 2 bay leaves optional
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste, plus more for pasta water
  • parmesan cheese optional
  • fresh herbs like basil or parsley, optional

Instructions

  • Dice onion, carrots, green bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms. Try to keep your dice even so that the vegetables cook evenly.
  • Slice garlic and set aside.
  • Place a pot of water to boil. Salt generously.
  • Place a stock pot or large pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is just shimmering, add the carrots, onion, green bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook for about 4-8 minutes, until lightly browned and just tender. Stir and monitor heat to ensure nothing gets too dark.
  • Add garlic. Cook for approximately 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until garlic has softened. Remove vegetables from the pan.
  • Add ground meat, 1 teaspoon salt, and chili flake and fennel seed if using. Brown for approximately 4-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Deglaze the pot or pan (pour the liquid in and use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom) with the red wine.
  • Add Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, bay leaves, and crushed tomatoes. Add the vegetables back to the pot or pan. Bring the sauce up to a boil and then down to a simmer.
  • Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for seasoning. If the sauce needs more salt, add more here a pinch at a time.
  • At about the 11 minute mark, add the linguine to the boiling water. Once done, strain.
  • Add linguine either directly to the pot of sauce, stir thoroughly, and then serve, or add linguine to a bowl and ladle the sauce over. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired.

Notes

  • My favorite ground meats to use here are bison and lamb. However, beef, pork and turkey all work well, too.
  • If using turkey, be sure to use meat no leaner than 90/10.
  • Try different vegetables here - try adding celery, summer squash or a red, yellow or orange bell pepper. Omit any vegetables you don't have on hand. This sauce is designed to be versatile.
  • If you don't have any red wine on hand, try using white wine or 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
  • You can use whole peeled tomatoes in place of crushed. Just crush each tomato into smaller pieces in your hand as you drop it in the pot.
  • Try a different pasta shape, like spaghetti or rigatoni. Follow box directions for cook times.
  • For a vegetarian option, omit the meat for a vegetable-packed tomato sauce.
  • For a vegan option, omit the cheese as well or substitute with a vegan cheese product.
  • Let me know if there are any other veggie combos you love in this recipe!

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1051mg | Potassium: 694mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1328IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg