Comforting Penne Bolognese
Comforting, cozy, and a little indulgent, this penne bolognese simmers ground beef, tomato, red wine, and herbs into a rich, savory sauce. Perfect with penne, topped with Parmesan for guaranteed dinner bliss.
4
servings
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 1 celery stalk finely diced
- 2 cloves (2) garlic minced
- 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef or a mix of beef and pork
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine
- 1 28-oz can (800 g) crushed tomatoes or passata
- 2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
For the Pasta & Serving
- 12 oz (340 g) penne pasta
- 1 cup (240 ml) reserved pasta cooking water
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- fresh basil or parsley chopped, for garnish
Equipment
- Large pot
- wooden spoon
- Pasta Pot
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Lower heat if veggies start to brown.
- Add minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and tomato paste darkens.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef (or beef-pork mix). Break up meat as it cooks, about 5–8 minutes, until no longer pink and starting to crisp.
- Pour in red wine to deglaze the pan. Stir, scraping any bits from the bottom. Simmer 3–5 minutes until reduced slightly.
- Add crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and sugar. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Uncover sauce and stir in the milk. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a glossy, clinging sauce.
- Serve in bowls. Top with plenty of grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of chopped basil or parsley.
Notes
This penne bolognese gets even better as leftovers. Store cooled pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days, or freeze just the sauce up to 3 months. For dairy-free, use unsweetened oat milk instead of whole milk. Swap in whatever pasta you love—rigatoni, fusilli, and even egg noodles work great.
Nutrition
Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 1120mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4500IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 5mg