Easy Bolognese Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 carrots (chopped into small uniform pieces)
• 2 stalks celery (chopped into small uniform pieces)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 lb ground beef (can substitute ground turkey or pork)
• 1 cup dry white wine (can substitute red wine or beef broth)
• 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes (canned; to be broken up in the pan)
• 0.25 cup water (added to the pan with tomatoes)

Steps

1. 1

   Prep the vegetables by chopping the carrots into quarters and then small pieces, slicing the celery down the middle and chopping to a similar size, and finely chopping the onion.

2. 2

   Mince approximately six cloves of garlic or use a garlic press.

3. 3

   Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat until the oil starts to shimmer.

4. 4

   Add the chopped onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.

5. 5

   Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. If the pot is too hot, remove from heat briefly to prevent the garlic from burning and becoming bitter.

6. 6

   Add 1.5 pounds of ground beef to the pot. Use a spoon to break the meat into small pieces and cook for about 5 minutes until nicely browned.

7. 7

   Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine (or red wine/beef broth). Deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Let the liquid cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol.

8. 8

   Add the 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes and a splash of water. Break the tomatoes up with your spoon as they cook.

Notes

If you are short on time, you can use a pre-chopped mirepoix mix from the grocery store. For a vegetarian version, substitute the ground beef with mushrooms or tofu. Ensure your pan is properly heated before adding oil to prevent sticking.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• pasta sauce
• beef
• one-pot
• weeknight meal