Slow Cooked Beef Bolognaise

This rich slow cooked beef bolognaise delivers deep savoury flavour with tender beef and a thick tomato and red wine sauce. Rigatoni pasta holds the rich sauce perfectly, which makes every bite hearty and satisfying. It is a comforting family meal that tastes even better the next day.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 50

Servings People

Ingredients

Bolognaise Sauce Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion finely diced
2 medium carrots finely diced
2 sticks celery finely diced
4 cloves garlic crushed
1.2 kg beef mince
2 tbsp tomato purée
400 ml red wine
800 g chopped tomatoes tins
500 ml beef stock
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 leaves bay
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Pasta Ingredients:

Serving Ingredients:

parmesan freshly grated
basil leaves Fresh

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large deep saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook gently for 8 minutes until softened. Stir often to stop the vegetables catching on the bottom.
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 sticks celery
Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute. The garlic should smell fragrant but not burnt.
4 cloves garlic
Add the beef mince to the pan. Break it apart with a wooden spoon while cooking. Continue cooking until the beef is browned fully and no pink remains.
1.2 kg beef mince
Add the tomato purée and stir well through the beef mixture. Cook for 2 minutes to deepen the flavour.
2 tbsp tomato purée
Pour the red wine into the pan slowly. Stir well and scrape any rich browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 8 minutes until the wine reduces slightly.
400 ml red wine
Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, oregano, basil, bay leaves, sugar, salt, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together well.
800 g chopped tomatoes, 500 ml beef stock, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 2 leaves bay, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and partly cover the pan with a lid. Cook slowly for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. The sauce should become thick, rich, and deep in colour.
Near the end of the cooking time, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to the packet instructions until tender but still slightly firm.
500 g rigatoni pasta, salt, water
Drain the rigatoni well using a colander. Do not rinse the pasta because the sauce clings better to it naturally.
Spoon the rich beef bolognaise generously over the rigatoni. Finish with grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves if desired.
parmesan, basil leaves

Equipment

Notes

Serving Ideas:

This rich pasta dish works beautifully with:

Garlic bread

Mixed salad

Roasted vegetables

Cheesy dough balls

Crispy potato wedges

Buttered green beans

Nutrition