Want a quick and easy pasta recipe that’s a guaranteed crowdpleaser? Then you need my Easy Peasy Spaghetti Bolognese recipe! This super simple bolognese only uses 5 ingredients and takes less than 20 minutes – perfect for busy weeknight evenings.
This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Always a crowdpleaser!
Aaah spag bol… such a British classic. It frequently appears on lists of Britain’s top 10 favourite dinners and is always a crowdpleaser… (especially with little people!)
Whenever I put this on my meal plan for the week, I know I will get cheers and absolutely no complaints!
While there are many lovely pasta dishes on my blog, this Easy Peasy Spaghetti Bolognese is almost certainly my favourite.
Super Simple Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Bolognese is a pretty simple recipe anyway, but my easy peasy recipe is extra quick and simple to make.
All you need to do is fry up some beef mince. Next, add chopped tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and a beef stock cube. Meanwhile cook your spaghetti according to packet instructions or your own preferences. (I like mine done ‘al dente’ – like you get in Italy!) Finally, divide the spaghetti between 4 plates, top with the bolognese sauce and sprinkle over some grated cheese.
Best of all, this Easy Peasy Spag Bol takes just 20 minutes from start to finish. (But it tastes like it’s been cooking for much longer!)
What to serve with Spaghetti Bolognese?
This simple Spaghetti Bolognese really is a meal in its own right, but if you want to make it more substantial, serve it with garlic bread and/or a green salad.
What to drink with Spaghetti Bolognese?
Spaghetti Bolognese goes brilliantly with simple, uncomplicated Italian reds, such as Chianti or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It also works well with Sangiovese-based reds from other parts of the world, such as California or Australia. (Sangiovese is the main grape variety in Chianti.)
Make it your own
There are lots of great ways you can adapt this recipe and make it your own. You could:
- Fry up some diced onions, mushrooms and/or peppers first before adding the beef mince
- Add a couple of cloves of garlic (grated or crushed), just before adding in the tomatoes
- Add some oregano and/or basil
- Add a splash of red wine or Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce*
- Serve with another pasta shape, such as tagliatelle or linguine
- Serve with wholewheat pasta – I like to serve this with wholewheat fusilli
- Use a different mince, such as turkey mince, pork mince or lamb mince
- Serve the sauce mixed into the pasta (rather than on top)
(Did you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear what you did! Let me know in the comments below.)
Can you reheat spaghetti bolognese?
The bolognese sauce reheats brilliantly. Put any leftover sauce in a lidded container and place in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 3 days.
To reheat, tip into a saucepan with a splash of water and cook until piping hot all the way through. Alternatively, you can reheat the sauce in the microwave.
You can reheat the spaghetti too, but it won’t be as nice as freshly cooked spaghetti.
If you think you might need to reheat the whole dish, I recommend a) you use a different pasta shape like fusilli or penne and b) you stir the sauce into the pasta before refrigerating. (This stops the pasta sticking to itself.)
If you are reheating both the pasta and the sauce together, I recommend you do this in the oven – like a pasta bake. Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F). Place the pasta/sauce in an ovenproof dish and top with some cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze spaghetti bolognese?
Bolognese sauce freezes very well. In fact, it’s the perfect sort of recipe for filling the freezer. I recommend you make a double quantity of the sauce and serve half immediately and put the remaining half in the freezer for an even easier meal in the future.
Put the sauce in a lidded container and place in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight and reheat as above.
I do not recommend freezing the spaghetti, however, as freezing spaghetti affects the texture of the spaghetti. Spaghetti is much nicer made fresh!
If you like this recipe…
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Easy Peasy Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 300 g spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500 g beef mince
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes (Ideally one of the better quality brands, like Cirio or Napolina)
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 beef stock cube (I use Kallo organic beef stock cubes, but Oxo beef stock cubes also work well!)
- Grated parmesan or cheddar to serve
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions / your own preferences. Drain when cooked.
- Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat for 1 minute. Add the beef mince, break up with a spatula and fry for 5 minutes, until nicely browned, stirring regularly.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, and crumble in the stock cube. Add about 100ml water (about 1/4 of the now-empty chopped tomatoes tin – you can use this water to get the last bits of chopped tomatoes out of the tin!) Stir everything together and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Divide the spaghetti between 4 plates, top with the bolognese sauce and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Alternatively, serve the cheese in a bowl on the table for everyone to help themselves.
Notes
- Suitable for freezing. (Bolognese sauce only.)
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Disclosure
*This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Ar says
Really simple, i added garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, onions, lee and perins sauce and some mixed vege.
Was delicious
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀