Everyone needs a quick and easy bolognese recipe for a busy day! This hearty bolognese sauce is full of flavour and can be made in just 20 minutes. I know that’s hard to believe, but put down that jar of ready-made sauce and give this speedy recipe a try instead!
simple spaghetti bolognese recipe
If there’s one recipe that’s a fail safe crowd pleaser, it’s got to be good old spaghetti Bolognese. It’s requested at least 3-4 times a month in my house. You really can’t go wrong with it.
perfect for busy week nights
I have a delicious slow cooked bolognese sauce recipe that I often make on a Saturday afternoon, but it needs at least 2 hours cooking time. Not much use when you’ve been busy with work during the week and you have no clue what to cook for dinner!
That’s where this quick and easy bolognese sauce recipe comes in handy! It’s one of my regular easy mid week dinners. I hope it will become a regular in your house too!
This bolognese sauce is a breeze to make. And no, it’s certainly not an authentic recipe, but it’s not trying to be. This is a recipe to turn to when you need to put dinner on the table NOW but you don’t want to simply open a jar of ready made sauce.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not against using jarred sauces every now and then. They definitely have their place! But once you’ve tasted this recipe, hopefully you will agree that it’s much nicer – and for very little extra effort.
ingredients
The list below is just a quick summary of what you’ll need to make this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
- minced beef, ideally with a fat content of 5-10% (best for quick cooking)
- garlic paste or puree
- tomato puree
- dried Italian mixed herbs
- sun dried tomatoes (optional)
- 2x400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 100ml beef stock or water
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
variations
- Fry finely chopped onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms or peppers in some oil for about 10-15 minutes or until softened before browning the mince.
- If you don’t have Italian mixed herbs on hand, a teaspoon each of dried basil or oregano will work.
- For heat, add some chilli flakes. Don’t add too much at once – start with a pinch, then build it up!
- For an extra layer of flavour, add a small glass of red wine, allowing it to evaporate (a couple of minutes) before adding the chopped tomatoes and stock. If you don’t have red wine, a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce is also a good addition.
make it vegetarian
This Bolognese recipe can easily be made suitable for vegetarians by swapping the minced beef for Quorn or soya mince.
You will also need to use a vegetarian/vegan parmesan cheese alternative.
using leftover bolognese
- Want to know one of my favourite ways to use up leftover bolognese sauce? Serve it over a baked potato. Lots of grated cheddar cheese is a must!
- Make a Bolognese toastie! Make a sandwich with leftover bolognese and a good melty cheese, such as Red Leicester or Mozzarella. Toast until golden and crisp in a sandwich maker or in the air fryer. Let me tell you, it’s a NEXT LEVEL lunch.
storing
Place any leftover (completely cold) Bolognese sauce in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to three days.
To reheat, place in a saucepan, add a splash of water (to stop it from drying out) and heat until piping hot.
freezing
To freeze the Bolognese sauce, place in an airtight container (making sure it has completely cooled down) and store in the freezer for up to two months. I often make a double amount of sauce, serve half then freeze the rest for a later date.
Quick and easy Bolognese recipe
A quick and easy Bolognese recipe for those busy nights when you're against the clock. This simple minced beef Bolognese takes just 20 minutes to make. Serve with your favourite pasta, freshly grated parmesan cheese and garlic bread.
Ingredients
- 450g lean minced beef (ideally with a fat content of 5-10%)
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian mixed herbs (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped (optional but good!)
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes (I love the Mutti brand)
- 100ml beef stock (I use a stock pot), or you can use water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 400g dried spaghetti (or any other pasta of your choice)
- freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Brown the minced beef in a large frying pan or skillet. Stir in the garlic puree and tomato puree and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the dried herbs, sun dried tomatoes, chopped tomatoes and the beef stock, wine or water.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer on a low-medium heat for 20 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta as per packet instructions. Drain, the pasta, season the bolognese sauce to your liking, then serve with the bolognese sauce and parmesan cheese.
Notes
If you want to add some vegetables and have a little extra time, you can add chopped onion, diced celery and carrot. Cook them in one tablespoon of olive oil for about 10-12 minutes (or until softened) before you brown the mince.
Mushrooms or chopped diced red pepper are also good additions!
If you have a bottle of red wine open, a small glass thrown in (allow it to bubble for a couple of minutes) before adding the tomatoes and stock is a very good idea. You can also add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce.
Adding a beef stock pot will add extra flavour and richness to the sauce, but you can use water instead. In the case of using water, I fill the empty can of tomatoes and swirl it around.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 504Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 349mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 38g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.