Fettuccine bolognese is a classic Italian-inspired recipe that's super easy to prepare at home. Our pasta bolognese has a tasty tomato base and is best served with a sprinkle of parmesan to finish off the dish!

For next-level authenticity, you could even upgrade our recipe by taking the time to roll out fresh, homemade pasta. Don't know where to start? Check out our gluten-free egg noddles recipe to give you guidance. 

The Perfect Fettuccine Bolognese Recipe

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Servings

4

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

125 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped up into small pieces

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped up into small pieces

• 2 celery stalks, chopped up into small pieces

• 3 cloves of minced garlic

• 2 tbsp of olive oil

• 1 and 1/3 lbs of ground beef

• 4 ounces of Italian pancetta, finely chopped

• Salt and pepper

• 2 cups of beef stock broth

• 1/2 cup of red wine

• 1 can of chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup of milk

• 1 lb of fettuccine pasta*

• 1/2 tsp of ground oregano seasoning

• Fresh basil and parsley to garnish

• Grated parmesan cheese to serve

Directions

1. Gather your onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. To make things easier, you can roughly chop the vegetables before pulsing them gently in a food processor. The food processor will finely chop the ingredients and blend them perfectly.

2. Place a large saucepan on medium heat on the stovetop. Drizzle in olive oil and allow it to heat up before pouring in your blended vegetables. Sautee the veggies gently in the pan. Leave them on medium heat, stirring as they cook, for no longer than 10 minutes or until they soften. 

3. When your vegetables are soft, add the ground beef and Italian pancetta to the pan. Sprinkle over salt and pepper to taste. Brown the ground beef on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

4. Next, pour in a half-cup of red wine and simmer with the ingredients for 2 minutes.

5. Pour in the beef stock broth, add your can of tomatoes, and mix in your oregano.

6. Allow the sauce to boil, but then quickly lower the heat before simmering in the pan for 90 minutes. Keep checking back and giving the sauce a good stir. Add more broth if the sauce is looking dry.

7. After simmering for 90 minutes, pour in your milk and stir it into the sauce. Allow everything to simmer again for a further 30 minutes. By this point, your ground beef will be super soft and tender!

8. Before your easy bolognese sauce is ready to serve, you need to bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

9. Add in your fettuccine pasta and allow it to cook in the water. If you have fresh, homemade pasta, you'll only need to cook for a few minutes. If you have dried pasta, follow the package instructions (dried pasta usually cooks in around 10 minutes).

10. Once cooked, drain the fettuccine before stirring it directly into the homemade bolognese sauce while it's still simmering. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

11. When you serve your delicious homemade fettuccine bolognese, sprinkle over some fresh basil and parsley, alongside grated parmesan!

Recipe Note

*You can use fresh, homemade pasta or simple store-bought, dried pasta. Be aware that fresh and dried pasta will have different cooking times. Follow the instructions on the packet if you use pasta from the store.

Fantastic fettuccine bolognese recipe FAQ

Our fantastic fettuccine a la bolognese is a super simple recipe that's guaranteed to put a quick stop to any pasta cravings you have.

You might have a few further questions. In that case, keep reading to find out the answers to the most common queries we hear when cooking fettuccine bolognese at home!

Do I need to use a food processor?

We recommend using a food processor to blend the vegetables when you start the recipe. It makes the whole job of chopping and finely dicing the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic so much easier. The sauce will be a lot smoother, and it will cut your prep time down significantly.

If you don't have a processor, you can still chop up your vegetables with a sharp knife. Your sauce will be a bit lumpier and more uneven, but it will still taste fantastic!

Can I prepare bolognese sauce ahead of time?

Our recipe is perfect for preparing ahead of time, especially if you've got a busy week coming up, and you want some quick meals ready to go. Prepare the bolognese sauce as per the recipe and transfer it to a resealable container. Leave the sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days, and it will still be super tasty!

When you begin preparing your fettuccine bolognese, you'll need to reheat the sauce on the stovetop. Of course, don't forget your fettuccine pasta. If you're making homemade fettuccine, you can also prepare the pasta in advance using a pasta maker. Again, you can store the pasta in the fridge and cook it later. You could even dry it if you want your homemade pasta to keep for even longer. If you're cooking up store-bought, dried pasta, cook it as per the instructions while warming up your sauce.

What can I do with my leftovers?

If you've got any leftovers, then you can easily store them in the fridge or freezer for future dinners. This bolognese is one of our favorite pasta dishes to make in bulk, so feel free to make even more than you can eat in one sitting. 

Once the fettuccine bolognese has cooled down on the side, transfer the leftovers to a resealable container. You can leave the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in a saucepan on the stovetop, using medium heat, and gently stir until it's all warmed through again.

You could store any tasty leftovers in the freezer, too. Again, allow the fettuccine bolognese to cool down on the side and then transfer the leftovers to a resealable box. A large ziplock bag would do the trick when you're freezing the bolognese!

You can leave the leftovers frozen for up to 6 months. After this, they'll start to lose their flavor and texture when you defrost them. When you're ready to eat fettuccine bolognese again, try to allow the leftovers to thaw on the side. If you don't have a lot of time, you can place the leftovers in the microwave and defrost them on low power.

When your leftovers have thawed, the best way to reheat them is on the stovetop, at low or medium heat. You could also quickly heat the leftovers in the microwave, but it's never quite as tasty this way.

What can I serve with homemade fettuccine bolognese?

Fettuccine bolognese is a hearty enough dish to be eaten all on its own. As we recommended, it tastes best with a lovely garnish of fresh Italian-style herbs such as basil and parsley, and of course, you can't miss out on grating parmesan cheese over the finished product!

If you're feeling particularly hungry, then there are plenty of extra side dishes that you can prepare alongside the fettuccine bolognese.

One of our favorite dishes to accompany any pasta dish is cheesy garlic bread - especially if it's homemade! You can slice up a baguette before covering each piece in mozzarella cheese, garlic, and a sprinkle of herbs. Bake the garlic bread in the oven until the mozzarella is melty and gooey!

Dig in!

Our fantastic fettuccine bolognese is a hearty, wholesome, and wonderfully comforting dish that is guaranteed to have you wanting more. With a tasty tomato base, perfectly cooked fettuccine, and a sprinkling of cheese, this Italian classic will keep the family happy and well-fed!

Save our fantastic fettuccine bolognese recipe for your next pasta night!