Beef Bolognese with Linguine Recipe
This recipe crafts a hearty, slow-simmered Beef Bolognese, a classic Italian-American meat sauce. Featuring lean ground beef, a rich mirepoix of vegetables, robust tomato, red wine, and a hint of milk for tenderness, it’s simmered with aromatic herbs. Served traditionally over hot linguine and garnished with Parmesan, it's a deeply flavorful and satisfying main course perfect for family meals.
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch Oven or Heavy-Bottomed Stockpot Essential for browning meat and slow simmering the sauce.
- 1 Chef's knife For efficient chopping of vegetables.
- 1 Cutting Board For safe and effective preparation of ingredients.
- 1 Large Pot with Lid For cooking the linguine.
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula For stirring and scraping the pot during cooking.
Ingredients
Main
- 3 lb lean ground beef 90% lean
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 medium onions chopped
- 3 large carrots chopped
- 6 celery ribs chopped
- 1 can 12 oz tomato paste, divided
- 9 garlic cloves sliced
- 3 tbsp dried parsley flakes
- 5 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tsp dried basil
- 3 tsp dried marjoram
- 1-1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1-1/2 cups dry red wine
- 3 cans 28 oz each diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1-1/2 cups beef stock
- 6 bay leaves
- 3 cups 2% milk
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- hot cooked linguine
- additional grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat and set beef aside.
- Add olive oil to the pot. Sauté chopped onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in the sliced garlic, dried parsley, salt, basil, marjoram, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until it darkens slightly and caramelizes.
- Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the wine has mostly evaporated.
- Return the browned beef to the pot. Stir in the diced tomatoes (undrained), beef stock, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for at least 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, allowing the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
- Stir in the milk and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, or until fully incorporated and the sauce is rich.
- Stir in 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Remove bay leaves.
- Serve the Bolognese sauce hot over cooked linguine, garnished with additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
For a truly authentic Bolognese, brown the ground beef thoroughly to develop rich, complex flavors; do not rush this step. When sautéing the mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery), ensure they soften completely before adding garlic and tomato paste. Cooking the tomato paste for a few minutes until it darkens slightly caramelizes its sugars, adding depth. Deglazing with red wine is crucial to scrape up all the flavorful fond from the bottom of the pot. The addition of milk, a traditional Bolognese technique, tenderizes the meat and adds a creamy richness to the sauce. Simmer the sauce for at least 2-3 hours, ideally longer, allowing flavors to meld beautifully. Always cook your linguine al dente and finish it directly in the Bolognese sauce for a minute or two before serving to ensure every strand is coated and infused with flavor. Freshly grated Parmesan at the end is non-negotiable.