This easy recipe for beef bolognese sauce is delicious over creamy polenta. Have a cozy, comforting dish on the table in just 30 minutes!
This beef bolognese is one of my go to meat sauce recipe! Its simple, relatively quick and delicious. And absolute perfection served over warm, creamy polenta! On a cold night, this dish is all I need to warm me up from my head to my toes. So cozy!
Although it closely resembles it, this is not your traditional bolognese. Traditional bolognese sauce often includes a mixture of beef and pork that is simmered for hours. This is definitely an all-beef recipe and a shortcut method. While you can’t beat the flavour brought on by slowly simmering a sauce for hours, its not always possible and sometimes (often in our home) you just need a shortcut.
My bolognese sauce vs. a traditional bolognese
In addition to being a short-cut version of a traditional, long-simmered traditional bolognese sauce, there are a few additional tweaks I have made to my version. I have outlined them below and given you some tips and options to make changes and make it truly traditional if you like.
First and foremost, you came here for a beef bolognese sauce, as stated in the title of this recipe, and that is what you are getting! This version uses all ground beef whereas traditionally in many recipes a beef and pork mixture is used. You can certainly use a mixture if you like.
My bolognese sauce gets a lovely hint of flavour from cinnamon (don’t worry, its not overpowering). I personally love this surprise flavor and it’s something that I am used to adding in meat sauce since my background is Greek. Greek meat sauces sometimes add cinnamon, such as in Pastitsio or Makaronia Me Kima recipes (Pasta with meat sauce). If that is not your thing, just omit the cinnamon or replace it with a pinch of nutmeg.
I also omit pancetta which is often included in traditional bolognese recipes because I wanted to keep this recipe simple and easy. Quite frankly I don’t have pancetta lying around in my fridge on any given day. The ingredients I use are ones that I have on hand pretty much all the time and you likely do too. If you do want to keep this sauce as traditional as can be, you can definitely add finely diced pancetta to the ground meat when you are browning it in the pan.
Ingredients in this Bolognese Sauce
- Olive oil
- Ground beef: Many traditional bolognese recipes use both ground beef and ground pork. I often use all beef but you can also use a mixture to keep it traditional. Pancetta is also often used. As this is an all-beef recipe, I do not use it but you can add diced pancetta to the ground meat when you are browning it if you wish to.
- Vegetables: Finely diced onion, carrots and celery. I like to chop them up finely so they disappear into the sauce. You can also pulse them a few times in a food processor to help get them into small pieces in a matter of seconds.
- Tomato paste: I use tomato paste but sometimes replace it with passata. If you do this, make sure you reduce the liquid (e.g. the beef stock) to account for the excess liquid or just simmer the sauce for a longer period of time to help the extra liquid evaporate.
- Beef stock: Beef stock adds more flavour but you can also use water instead.
- Dry red or white wine: To keep it alcohol-free, you can replace this with beef stock or water.
- Herbs and Spices: parsley, Italian seasoning, cinnamon stick (as mentioned above, if you want to omit the cinnamon, you can or you can replace it with a pinch of nutmeg.)
- Sugar: helps cut the acidity of the tomato.
- Milk: Stirred into the sauce at the end for added creaminess. Whole milk is often used but you can replace it with 2% milk or similar.
- Salt and pepper: to taste
Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make easy beef bolognese sauce
While a traditional bolognese simmers away for hours, this quick version is ready in less than half an hour!
- Brown the meat: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the ground beef. Brown the meat for a few minutes, being sure to break up any large pieces.
- Cook the veggies: Add the onions, carrots, and celery and continue to saute until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables have softened.
- Add the liquids and seasonings: Add the tomato paste, beef stock, red wine, sugar, parsley, Italian seasoning, and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the wine to evaporate. Then cover the skillet and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add more water if needed.
- Stir in milk: Stir in the milk and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.
That’s it! This quick and easy weeknight beef bolognese is ready to be served with polenta (or you can omit the polenta and serve it over pasta instead.
How to make creamy polenta:
- Bring 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
- Add 3/4 cups polenta and lower to medium heat. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter, Parmesan cheese and pepper.
- Spoon polenta into dishes. Top with the bolognese sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
I LOVE serving this beef bolognese over creamy parmesan polenta, as outlined in the recipe. Its so creamy, cozy and comforting! If you want to switch things up, it’s also great served over pasta!
Hope you enjoy this quick dinner option!
-Cathy
You may also like:
Cheesy Beef & Noodle Casserole
Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Easy Penne Pasta with Ground Turkey
This post was updated on December 17th, 2022 with improvements to the recipe and additional information in the post.
Easy Beef Bolognese with Creamy Polenta
Ingredients
For the beef bolognese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef or ground beef and pork mix
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 small carrot finely diced
- 1 rib celery finely diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup beef stock or water
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or dry white wine or stock or water
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar** optional
- 1 cinnamon stick (you can replace cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg, if desired)
- 1/2 cup whole milk or 2%
- salt and pepper to taste
For the polenta
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup polenta or grits
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated + extra for serving
- pepper
Instructions
To make the bolognese sauce:
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the beef.* Brown the meat for a few minutes, being sure to break up any large pieces.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery and continue to saute until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables have softened.
- Add the tomato paste, beef stock, red wine, sugar, parsley, Italian seasoning, and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the wine to evaporate. Then cover the skillet and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add more water if needed.
- Stir in the milk and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.
To make the polenta:
- Bring 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
- Add the polenta and lower to medium heat. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter, Parmesan cheese and pepper.
- Spoon polenta into dishes. Top with the beef bolognese and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
