Spaghetti Bolognese recipe

Our quick and easy spaghetti Bolognese recipe is an Italian classic with a rich tomato-based sauce.

This traditional Bolognese is flavored with garlic, oregano, and a hint of Worcestershire sauce. Add a splash of red wine to enhance the flavour of the tomatoes in this dish. Making the Bolognese sauce from scratch is ideal for avoiding excessive quantities of salt and sugar that you sometimes find in shop-bought sauces.

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 500g lean minced beef
• 90g mushrooms, sliced
• 1tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
• 400g can tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
• 300ml hot beef stock
• 1tbsp tomato ketchup or purée
• 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and ground black pepper
• 350g spaghetti
• freshly grated Parmesan, to sprinkle

Method

1. Put the onion and oil in a large pan and fry over fairly high heat for 3-4 mins. Add the garlic and mince and fry until they are both brown. Add the mushrooms and herbs, and cook for another couple of mins.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, beef stock, tomato ketchup or purée, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 mins.
3. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling, salted water, according to packet instructions. Drain well, run hot water through it, put it back in the pan, and add a dash of olive oil, if you like, then stir in the meat sauce. Serve in hot bowls and hand round Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top.  

Watch how to make this spaghetti Bolognese recipe

Top tips for making spaghetti Bolognese

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to two days. You can also freeze leftovers; just make sure you defrost thoroughly before reheating.

How can I adapt this spaghetti Bolognese to suit vegetarians?

If you want to make a vegetarian Bolognese (opens in new tab) you can swap the beef mince in this recipe for Quorn (opens in new tab), vegetables, or make a lentil Bolognese (opens in new tab) instead. Quorn doesn’t take as long to cook and you often add at the end of making the Bolognese sauce but read the packet instructions carefully when cooking.

If you want to make your spaghetti Bolognese healthier, swap the beef mince for a lower-fat option like turkey mince. Turkey mince is much leaner meat which means it's lower in fat and calories than beef, lamb, and pork.

What can you serve with spaghetti Bolognese?

We’d recommend serving your spag Bol with a slice or two of homemade garlic bread (opens in new tab). Garlic bread is so easy to make; all you need is fresh or pureed garlic, butter, parsley, and bread e.g. French baguette, ciabatta, or a homemade loaf.

Traditionally spaghetti Bolognese is topped with a generous helping of Parmesan cheese. If you don’t have Parmesan in the fridge you could opt for cheddar or mozzarella instead.

What can I use instead of spaghetti?

If you’ve run out of spaghetti or the kids aren’t a fan, you could swap for a different type of pasta instead. Tagliatelle (opens in new tab), penne, spirals, or bows would work just as well.

You could also swap the pasta for something different like serving your Bolognese with gnocchi or topping a jacket potato with the Bolognese sauce instead.