Host The Toast HomepageHost The Toast

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Press
  • Shop
Home » Beef + Veal

One Pot Pasta Bolognese

January 7, 2016 by Morgan 11 Comments

Jump to Recipe

One Pot Pasta Bolognese. This ragu bolognese is a meaty Italian sauce recipe that can be made with spaghetti, tagliatelle, or whatever pasta you have on hand. It's simple and quick but tastes like an all-day sauce! | hostthetoast.com

Patience is not a virtue of mine. In a traffic jam, I'm a short breath away from abandoning my car and walking off into the wilderness. I pick up hobbies and swear them off forever if I find that I'm not a master knitter/painter/pianist within a month.  I track my UPS packages every 20 minutes from the second I place the orders right up to when they arrive at my doorstep. Like I said, I'm not a patient woman, and I really don't have the patience for an all-day sauce.

But ragu bolognese (or Italian meat-based sauce) doesn't have to be a labor of love. In fact, it doesn't have to be hard or time-consuming at all, because One Pot Pasta Bolognese takes under an hour to make from prep to finish. And despite the fact that this version cuts out a ton of time, making bolognese a weeknight dinner possibility, it's not short on flavor at all. In fact, it's gonna be HUGE! HUUUUGE.

One Pot Pasta Bolognese. This ragu bolognese is a meaty Italian sauce recipe that can be made with spaghetti, tagliatelle, or whatever pasta you have on hand. It's simple and quick but tastes like an all-day sauce! | hostthetoast.com

That was my attempt at an SNL-esque Trump impression. Did I pull it off? Speaking of which, is it just me, or do you also feel like you need some comfort food while keeping up with the presidential primaries? No matter who you're rooting for (or against), doesn't it get stressful every time debate season starts? I just wanna snuggle up to a bowl of bolognese and shovel it in my mouth until the frustration subsides. And now I can. Ta da!

One Pot Pasta Bolognese. This ragu bolognese is a meaty Italian sauce recipe that can be made with spaghetti, tagliatelle, or whatever pasta you have on hand. It's simple and quick but tastes like an all-day sauce! | hostthetoast.com

To start making the One Pot Pasta Bolognese, I cook some bacon until lightly crisped, and then I add in onions, celery, and garlic, which cook in the rendered bacon fat. I know a lot of us are still in New Year's resolution mode and "rendered bacon fat" probably doesn't fall into the diet-approved category too often, but let this be your cheat meal and you won't regret one bite.

After seasoning the onion mixture, I brown the ground chuck in the same pot. Then it's time for the tomato paste, which gives the sauce more slow-cooked flavor without the long time commitment, as well as the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and thyme. Generally, bolognese sauce includes wine, so if I have wine on hand I may choose to switch out a cup of the chicken stock for a cup of wine. It is delicious either way, so it's truly up to you.

One Pot Pasta Bolognese. This ragu bolognese is a meaty Italian sauce recipe that can be made with spaghetti, tagliatelle, or whatever pasta you have on hand. It's simple and quick but tastes like an all-day sauce! | hostthetoast.com

I simmer the sauce to help the flavors develop and meld before adding in the pasta, which goes in uncooked. Remember, with one pot pastas, you really only need one pot! The uncooked pasta releases starches into the sauce as it cooks, which thickens the sauce. It also absorbs some of the sauce liquid, which flavors the noodles themselves with whatever they're cooking in.

Once the pasta has cooked, I stir in some milk, parmesan cheese, and basil. This makes the sauce creamy and rich, and balances out some of the acidity of the tomato. And just like that, the One Pot Pasta Bolognese is already ready to serve.

One Pot Pasta Bolognese. This ragu bolognese is a meaty Italian sauce recipe that can be made with spaghetti, tagliatelle, or whatever pasta you have on hand. It's simple and quick but tastes like an all-day sauce! | hostthetoast.com

I knew James loved this pasta because it disappeared very quickly, but apparently it was one of his favorite one pot pastas I've made, as he told my family while we visited last weekend. My mom is really jealous that since I've moved, she hasn't been able to try any of my new recipes. I guess I'll just have to go down to visit and make another batch soon for us all to eat. Ugh, twist my arm why don't ya?

(Just better hope there's no traffic on the way down. As we've discussed before, I don't have the composure for that.)

Really, this recipe is delicious, and I think it will be a hit in your house just as much as it was in mine. When you give it a go, don't forget to take a photo and tag #hostthetoast on Instagram or Twitter to show off your simple, saucy, patience-free pasta. I can't wait to see it.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

One Pot Pasta Bolognese


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Morgan
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, plus more to taste
  • 1.5 lb ground chuck
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 3 cups reduced sodium chicken stock (or 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup wine)
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 pound tagliatelle or spaghetti
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  1. In a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until lightly crisped. Mix in the onion, celery, and garlic, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Mix in ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, adding slightly more if you prefer more heat in your sauce. Cook together until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add in the ground chuck. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Once browned, stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and thyme.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Then, uncover, remove the thyme sprigs, stir the pasta in, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in the milk, parmesan cheese, and shredded basil, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with additional basil, to garnish.
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @hostthetoast on Instagram and hashtag it #hostthetoast

signature

 

More Beef + Veal

  • Beef Chuck Chili
  • Quesabirria Tacos (Beef Birria Tacos)
  • Birria de Res (Beef Birria Recipe)
  • What do you get when you combine garlic knots, melty mozzarella, and mini Italian meatballs? You get the perfect party appetizer: Cheesy Garlic Meatball Bombs. It's like a garlic-butter-slathered meatball sub, but snack-sized, and minus the mess. 
    Cheesy Garlic Meatball Bombs

Comments

  1. Brandon says

    January 10, 2016 at 7:51 pm

    Red or white wine?

    Reply
    • Felix says

      January 14, 2016 at 2:38 pm

      Always red for tomato sauce.

      Reply
  2. Amoeba the Cat says

    February 20, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    made this tonight for hubby who 'hates Bolognese". he loved loved loved it. did not change a thing

    Reply
  3. Kaitlynn says

    May 03, 2016 at 9:04 pm

    Made this tonight and it was amazing!! Looking forward to cooking more of your recipes 🙂 thank you!

    Reply
  4. Matty D says

    October 20, 2016 at 9:56 am

    This sounds weird, but what's the wine in the photo? The recipie was awesome, but the wine looks good too!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      October 20, 2016 at 10:29 am

      I wish I could remember! I'm sorry that I can't give you an answer =(

      Reply
  5. Linda says

    December 26, 2016 at 9:29 pm

    Made this tonight for the two of us, will have leftovers for lunch or dinner all week. This was delicious and I love the one pot aspect. Thanks Morgan!

    Reply
  6. Kaitlynn says

    January 28, 2017 at 11:38 pm

    This is such a favorite of mine. I keep coming back to this recipe and I love it more each time I make it.

    Reply
  7. Matt says

    February 12, 2019 at 10:33 am

    Drain the ground beef after browning or no....I know you said not to drain the bacon.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

MEET MORGAN

Morgan is a full-time food blogger, pizza-related sleep talker, and self-described hobby hoarder.
READ MORE »

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Host The Toast
Privacy Policy
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Press
  • Shop