Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Recipe Author | Captain Cook

The rich Bolognese sauce is full of flavor, thick, and will make you forget about canned spaghetti sauce. You can use it with any type of pasta or as a stand-alone stew with some crackers.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 750 kcal

Equipment

1 Baking Sheet
1 Sauce Pan
1 Dutch Oven

Ingredients

For the Spaghetti

1 spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt
black pepper

For the Béchamel

4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 ⅔ cups milk
1 cup parmesan cheese

For the Ragù

3 tbsp olive oil
3 oz pancetta or thick bacon finely chopped
1 yellow onion finely diced
3 stalks celery ribs with leaves finely diced
3 carrot finely diced
6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
10 oz ground lamb
10 oz 80/20 ground beef
2 tbsp tomato paste
⅔ cup red cooking wine
1 cup half-and-half cream or heavy cream or milk
28 oz crushed tomatoes
black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Instructions

For the Spaghetti Squash

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and ribbing. Drizzle the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
1 spaghetti squash, olive oil, salt, black pepper
Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet and use a fork to poke holes. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside, fork-tender, but still a little bit firm. The time will vary depending on the size of your squash.
Remove from the oven and flip the squash so that it’s cut side up. When cool to the touch, use a fork to scrape and fluff the strands from the sides of the squash.

For the Béchamel

In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a whisk, for 3 minutes.
4 tbsp unsalted butter, 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
Slowly add the milk, and whisk together. Add the grated parmesan cheese. Whisk and cook over medium heat for several minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
2 ⅔ cups milk, 1 cup parmesan cheese

For the Ragù

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and chopped vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
3 tbsp olive oil, 3 oz pancetta, 1 yellow onion, 3 carrot, 3 stalks celery ribs
Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds before adding in the meat. Stir the beef and pork into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
6 cloves garlic, 10 oz ground lamb, 10 oz 80/20 ground beef
Stir often for about 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.
2 tbsp tomato paste
Add the wine to the dutch oven, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown bits as the wine bubbles.
⅔ cup red cooking wine
Stir in the half and half. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir frequently to check for sticking.
1 cup half-and-half cream
Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper
28 oz crushed tomatoes
Once cooked, stir in the Béchamel sauce into the meat sauce and combine with a wooden spoon.

Assemble the Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Add the cooked fresh pasta to the Bolognese sauce and stir to combine and serve.
black pepper, salt

Keyword Lunch, Dinner, Family Reunions, Meat