Perfect Rigatoni Bolognese The Easy Way

Name: Perfect Rigatoni Bolognese The Easy Way
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 Medium Onion Finely Chopped (Any Color); 1 Medium Carrot (Peeled and Chopped); 1 Celery Stick (Washed and Chopped); 2 Cloves of Garlic (Peeled and Minced); 450-500 g Ground Beef; 700 ml Passata (Smooth or Chunky); Salt and Pepper to Taste; 450 g Rigatoni

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This great make-ahead sauce that gets caught in all the nooks and crannies of rigatoni pasta, makes this rigatoni bolognese an excellent dish for a midweek meal, but also for a dinner party. Although the cooking time may seem long, most of it is hands-off, with the ground beef lightly simmering in the background in its rich tomato sauce. Don't forget to sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top before serving, it's a must at an Italian table! Buon appetito!

Italian rigatoni bolognese with ground beef

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Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe Ingredients
Optional Ingredients
How To Prepare Rigatoni Bolognese?
People Also Ask [FAQs]
Tips & Tricks for the Best Bolognese Sauce and Pasta
Recipe

Although every Italian speaks about their nonna cooking [so have I], for me, as I have been living abroad for well over a decade, it's my mom's cooking I miss the most.

Her bolognese sauce is made of dreams!

Growing up, both my parents worked, so a couple of evenings per week we had pasta, be it with tuna, arrabbiata, amatriciana, puttanesca, you name it, we had it. My favorite pasta dish [at home] always was rigatoni bolognese.

You see, I wasn't a big fan of spices until I met Jay [again, well over a decade ago], and Bolognese sauce was my safe harbor. Filling, tasty, and an excellent excuse to have some bread at the end to mop the Bolognese up!

So, here's how to do Bolognese sauce the tastiest way without the need for a million ingredients.

Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe Ingredients

Ground Beef: This is the main ingredient for this meat sauce, which can be mixed with ground pork, or Italian sausage for extra flavor. Some butchers prepare packs of mixed ground meat ready to sell, often half ground beef and half pork. Personally, I am not a fan of ground turkey or ground chicken for this recipe, although they seem to be popular lower-calorie alternatives.
Pasta: Tubular shapes like rigatoni hold onto the sauce, however, other shapes, like penne, fusilli, or ziti, as well as long pasta, like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or linguine, work wonders. The brands I tend to prefer are Voiello or Rummo.
Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil if you have it. This is needed only to cook the sauce, as you should never add oil to the water for the pasta. Adding oil to pasta water makes the pasta slippery, so it is hard for the Bolognese to grip onto it.
Tomato Sauce: Good quality tomato sauce is essential for Bolognese! I like to use Cirio Passata Rustica, however, plain passata or canned diced tomatoes will work too. Avoid pre-flavored sauces like marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce, as these tend to be packed with sugars and flavors that take away the control you have over what you put in your dish. You can use freshly crushed tomatoes too, with San Marzano tomatoes being the greatest of all choices.
Garlic, Onion, Carrot, and Celery: Minced garlic plus the holy trinity of Italian cooking [the soffritto, which is made of finely chopped onion, celery, and carrots], give flavor and body to this Italian meat sauce.

Optional Ingredients

Herbs and Spices: This is up to you and what you like! Dry or fresh herbs work well, and my favorite options are [dry or fresh] chopped parsley, fresh basil, or a few sprigs of rosemary. To add heat, opt for a little red pepper flakes or paprika. Many recipes call for Italian seasoning, which in Italy we don't have, however, bear in mind that those pre-mixed seasonings tend to have added salt, so adjust that if using this.
Broth: Although I add plain water in this recipe to let it simmer down, my mother would use some broth when available, and I would suggest using some too if you have it! Beef or vegetable broth are great, however, chicken stock can be used too. You may need less salt if using broth or stock.
Milk: Pellegrino Artusi wrote a recipe book in 1891 and in his Bolognese recipe he adds some cream to the sauce before serving. Now, if following my recipe, you can add half a cup of whole milk 15 minutes before the ragu Bolognese has finished cooking; add it a bit at a time, incorporating it well before adding more.
Wine: In my spaghetti bolognese sauce recipe you can find how and when to add wine to the recipe. Although I occasionally like to add red wine [great options are Sangiovese, Chianti, Lambrusco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, and Shiraz], you can also use a little white wine or beer [lager] for a different twist.
Grated Cheese: Sprinkle a little cheese on top of your rigatoni bolognese before serving! Grated Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano, and Grana Padano are the best for the job!

How To Prepare Rigatoni Bolognese?

Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom or large dutch oven over low to medium heat.
Once warm, add the chopped garlic, onion, carrot, and celery and season with a little salt and pepper. Mix well and allow to cook until the vegetables are soft and the onion transparent.
Next, add the ground beef [or ground meat of choice] and increase the flame to medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, break down the meat and mix it until all of its sides change color [start to cook] and all the ingredients are well mixed together. This step will take approximately 5 minutes.
OPTIONAL: Should you decide to use wine, add it at this stage and allow it to simmer away until it fully evaporates. You won't need much wine, less than a glass will suffice.
OPTIONAL: At this stage add your herbs of choice, and mix them well to the meat.
Once ready, add the tomato passata and the same amount of water. Mix well the meat sauce and allow it to come to a light simmer.
OPTIONAL: If using broth or stock instead of water, ensure you use less salt while seasoning.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce the flame to low. The sauce will need to simmer lightly for a minimum of an hour, however, ideally two and a half hours would be best, as the longer this is cooked for the more the flavor will blend together and the meat pieces break down to create a thick and meaty texture. Bolognese sauce is ready once the fats can be seen gathering at the sides of the pan and you can see little crates form in the centre of the sauce.
OPTIONAL: If adding milk, 15 minutes before the sauce is ready, start adding a little milk at a time, incorporating it well to the sauce before adding more.
Once the sauce is ready, taste for seasoning.
Before serving, in a large pan of boiling salted water, cook the rigatoni pasta according to package directions. Before driving the pasta, save a cup of cooking water on the side.
Heat up the bolognese sauce in a large skillet and, once warm, add the al dente pasta to the sauce and a couple of spoons of the cooking water. Add more pasta cooking water if necessary.
Serve the pasta with some grated parmesan cheese and a nice slice of bread [or warm garlic bread for a little extra on the side!]

Tips & Tricks for the Best Bolognese Sauce and Pasta

Pasta al dente: As you will cook the pasta for a few minutes with the delicious meat sauce, it is important it is not overcooked in the first place, but it still has a little bite to it.
Pasta Cooking Water: Save a cup or so of cooking water, as some of it can be added to the rigatoni Bolognese for added creaminess. A couple of spoons tend to do the job, however, saving extra before draining is always a good idea.
Little Olive Oil: For some unknown reason, many think adding ''just a little oil'' to the water to prevent it from sticking is a good idea. Please, don't do this, but rather, stir frequently. Adding oil to it will make it slippery, and the dressing will find it harder to stick to it.
Tomato: Should the tomatoes you use be too watery, add some tomato paste to the Bolognese to give it that missing richness. Add one tablespoon once the meat has browned [mix it well and fry the paste for a minute before continuing with the next step].
Food Processor: Should you find chopping the vegetables too long, you can simply peel them, roughly chop them, and add them to the food processor to blitz until the right size is achieved.
Pasta Pasticciata: You can turn this easy rigatoni bolognese recipe into a pasta bake by adding chopped mozzarella to it and mixing well. Add the cheesy rigatoni bolognese to a casserole dish and flatten it without pressing too hard; sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese and a few small dollops of unsalted butter, then bake until the mozzarella melts and the top turns golden brown.

Did you ever think that to make rigatoni bolognese all you needed were these simple ingredients? After the first fifteen minutes of hands-on cooking, all you need to do is stir occasionally and ensure your cooked rigatoni are perfectly al dente!

Serve this easy rigatoni bolognese with a nice green salad, roasted vegetables, or green beans and a slice of bread perfect to mop up all the juices. Remember to sprinkle a little cheese before serving for the best final dish!

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