Bolognese is an Italian meat sauce, or ragu. Slow-simmered for hours, it is known for a deep, rich flavor using only basic ingredients. Bolognese starts with beef, veal, and/or pork. This sauce also features a soffritto, which is the foundation for many sauces, soups, and stews. Soffritto refers to celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Carrots make the sauce slightly sweet. Typically tomato paste or puree is used; however, bolognese is actually not a tomato-based sauce. Peeled or fresh tomatoes are not often used as they add too much water. Bolognese also features wine and milk.

But, this is a weeknight and we don’t want to be eating dinner at 9pm. Instead of simmering for hours, we are going to cut that time down to just 20 minutes. In order to create a rich flavor in less time, I added beef bouillon cubes. Plus, I added a few extra veggies- bell peppers and cauliflower rice. With so much flavor, it’s the perfect time to pack in a few extra veggies!

Traditionally served over pasta, you can also use rice, potatoes, or spaghetti squash. You can also serve with salad and breadsticks or garlic bread.

This sauce is even better the next day!

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Ingredients in Weeknight Bolognese

• Ground Beef
• Carrots
• Onion
• Celery
• Garlic
• Bell Peppers
• Beef stock
• White wine
• Cauliflower rice
• Tomato paste
• Beef bouillon cubes
• Parmesan cheese
• Milk

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How to Make Weeknight Bolognese

1. OPTIONAL: Use a food processor to finely chop the veggies.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Then, sauté the veggies for 4-5 minutes. You want them to be soft, but not browned. Season with salt and pepper. Then, move the veggies over to one side and add the beef to the Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Next, cook until browned, breaking it up into small pieces.
3. Then, pour in the white wine. Stir and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. After that, pour in the beef broth, bouillon cubes, and tomato paste. Stir well. Next, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20+ minutes.
4. Turn off the heat. Then, remove the lid and stir in the cauliflower rice, milk, and parmesan cheese.
5. Serve over pasta or with spaghetti squash.

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Bolognese vs. Meat Sauce

Technically, they are both the same. Bolognese is an Italian meat sauce, or ragu. Other meat sauces may use more tomatoes and/or other ingredients,  but bolognese is one type of meat sauce.

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Storage & Reheating

Store in the fridge for 4-5 days. Can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When reheating, use the microwave will be the fastest. Can also reheat in a saucepan or the oven.

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