Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

Make meatball mixture

In a large bowl combine ground beef and ground pork. Add fresh breadcrumbs, 2 tbs milk, egg, 30 g grated Parmesan, 1 minced garlic clove, chopped parsley, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.

Shape meatballs

Portion mixture into roughly 18–20 small meatballs (about 25–30 g each). Roll gently between your palms to form smooth balls and place on a tray or plate.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add meatballs in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Brown on all sides, turning gently, about 6–8 minutes total. They do not need to be fully cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside. Reserve pan juices.

Sauté aromatics

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Develop tomato base

Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to caramelize and remove raw flavor. Pour in 150 ml dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let the wine reduce by about half, 3–4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and stock

Add the canned crushed tomatoes and 250 ml beef stock. Stir in 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Finish sauce with milk and cheese

Stir in 60 ml milk and 50 g grated Parmesan — this rounds acidity and enriches the sauce. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste).

Simmer with meatballs

Carefully nestle the browned meatballs into the simmering sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, for 25–30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through and flavors have melded. Stir occasionally, spooning sauce over meatballs.

Cook spaghetti

About 12 minutes before the sauce is done, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbs salt and 1 tsp olive oil. Add 400 g spaghetti and cook according to package al dente time (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve 250 ml (about 1 cup) of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Finish pasta with sauce

Add drained spaghetti directly to the sauce with meatballs. Toss gently to combine, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to loosen and coat the pasta. Cook together 1–2 minutes so pasta absorbs some sauce.

Divide spaghetti and meatballs among 4 plates. Spoon extra sauce and meatballs over pasta. Sprinkle with extra grated Parmesan, garnish with fresh basil leaves or chopped parsley and finish with cracked black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.