Spaghetti Bolognese
A crowd-pleasing Italian beef built around lean minced beef, mushrooms and tomatoes — roughly 55 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 5 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 5 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Put the onion and oil in a large pan and fry over a fairly high heat for 3-4 mins. Add the garlic and mince and fry until they both brown. Add the mushrooms and herbs, and cook for another couple of mins.
- Stir in the tomatoes, beef stock, tomato ketchup or purée, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 mins.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling, salted water, according to packet instructions.
- Drain well, run hot water through it, put it back in the pan and add a dash of olive oil, if you like, then stir in the meat sauce.
- Serve in hot bowls and hand round Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan
Watch how it's made
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Ingredient substitutions
- Parmesan
- pecorino · grana padano · aged asiago
What to serve with Spaghetti Bolognese
- Spicy Arrabiata Penne Vegetarian
- Vegan Lasagna Vegan
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad Seafood
- Potato Gratin with Chicken Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Spaghetti Bolognese take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 5 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of parmesan?
Try pecorino. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Spaghetti Bolognese via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.