SIMPLE + QUICK BOLOGNESE SAUCE

I’m back this month with another simple and easy recipe I know you’ll love, it’s one of our favorites in our home. Last month, I shared my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies – an absolute must for your arsenal! Today, I’m sharing a simple and quick bolognese sauce that I know will become a favorite in your home too.

This recipe is adapted from Giada de Laurentis’ bolognese sauce from her Everyday Italian cookbook – it’s such a great cookbook, with so many simple and delicious meals.

I discovered this recipe when I bought her book years ago and I’ve tweaked it here and there to make it my own. I hope you love this quick bolognese sauce as much as we do!

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My friend Marty, from A Stroll Thru Life is hosting our recipe hop, you’ll find Marty’s recipe along with everyone else’s at the bottom of my post.

I’ve been cooking this dish for a long time and I often swap out certain ingredients based on what is in our fridge or pantry.

Never be afraid to improvise! I love to try new things and I don’t always have what a recipe calls for.

Grab some of the below tips – you’ll find them very useful!

FABULOUS TIPS FOR QUICK BOLOGNESE SAUCE!

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• I always add red wine to this dish, it adds depth and flavor – I always have a bottle in the fridge for cooking. I love to add it to all kinds of tomato based sauces.
• Leftover bacon grease is fabulous for cooking, and it’s great added to this recipe. Again, it adds depth, and flavor. I confess, I recently learned this tip from my siblings!
• Traditional bolognese uses milk, but this recipe (like Giada’s) uses parmesan cheese instead. I also love to throw in a piece of the cheese rind as it simmers as well, for more falvor.
• You can definitely use dried herbs and spices for this recipe, I do it all the time when I don’t have access to fresh ones.
• If you’re a meat lover like we are around here, a fabulous tip is to use the ‘Holy Trinity’ of meats – a beef, pork and veal combo – the flavor just cannot be beat.
• If you love pasta but are skipping the carbs, this is excellent served over steamed veggies too – we eat it all the time!

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HOW TO MAKE THIS QUICK + DELICIOUS BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Scroll further down for the full recipe!

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1.Heat the oil over medium heat.

2.Add the chopped onion and garlic, cook until the onions are translucent, for about five minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

3.Add the chopped carrot and celery and continue to sauté for about five more minutes.

4.Add the bacon grease if you’d like (this is totally optional).

5.Add the ground beef, breaking it up as you cook it, making sure to cook until it’s brown.

6.Once the beef is ready, add the crushed tomatoes, wine and herbs and spices (I used a combo of dried and fresh Italian parsley).

7.Combine well and simmer for about thirty minutes for a quick sauce, or longer if you like it thicker and richer. 

8.Add the parmesan cheese, combine and simmer for another fifteen minutes. This also thickens the sauce.

9.Serve over your favorite pasta or steamed veggies if you follow a low-carb diet.

That’s it. Such a simple meal to make, and I love to freeze the leftovers for another meal.

You can find the full recipe, which you can also print out, just down below.

Don’t miss this month’s amazing recipe roundup below – so many delicious meals and desserts to try!

Click on any of my friend’s links to head to their sites and grab the recipe. Enjoy, my friends, and Buon Appetito! xo