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Home » Dinner

Weeknight Bolognese: Ina Garten

Published: Dec 4, 2021 · Modified: Feb 5, 2023 by Jenna · This post may contain affiliate links · 16 Comments

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On Saturday and Sunday mornings you can catch me watching cooking shows on Food Network. It’s fun to test and try out new recipes from different Food Network chefs. I’ll also share the recipe on this blog with you guys if I think it’s worthy! Like this recipe for Weeknight Bolognese from Ina Garten.  

Ina  has been one of my favorites to follow for a while now and I’m still watching her. If you’ve never watched Ina Garten before one thing about her recipes is that she likes to add quite a bit of salt. This bolognese calls for 1 tablespoon which is quite a bit salt. I always cut the amount in half because it ends up being too salty. 

What Ingredients do I need? 

In this section, you can find substitutes or suggestions for certain ingredients. I also will try and list out what the ingredients' purpose is for. 

Olive Oil  - I like to use Aldi’s Simply Organic Olive Oil 

Ground Sirloin  - can sub ground sausage or ground beef 

Garlic  - You can freshly mince the garlic or use garlic that has already been minced for you. The stuff in the smaller jars are a time saver. 

Dry Red Wine  - chicken broth or vegetable broth can be used instead of wine 

Crushed Tomatoes - any brand will work if you don’t want to spend a couple extra bucks for San Marzano tomatoes 

Pasta  - Orecchiette pasta is very similar to small or medium-shelled pasta. The shape is just slightly different. 

Spices - nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and freshly torn basil. 

Dairy - Heavy Cream and parmesan cheese 

Additional Ingredients  

these are recommended but not necessary 

Use ground turkey instead of ground sirloin 

Add some diced or chopped mushrooms, celery, or carrots

How to make Weeknight Bolognese  

To print the full recipe please see the recipe card below. 

Heat 2 TB of olive oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more mintue. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 TB salt, and 1 ½ teaspoon pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.

While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

More Great Recipes to Try:

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Please Let Me Know What You Think!

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I would love to see your creations on Pinterest. Upload them and leave a comment on my Pinterest page! Are you on Instagram? Follow along and TAG US @recipediariesww.

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Weeknight Bolognese: Ina Garten


★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Jenna
  • Yield: 4 to 5 1x
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra to cook pasta
    1 pound lean ground sirloin
    4 teaspoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
    1 tablespoon dried oregano
    ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I will use ⅛ tsp next time for the kids)
    1 ¼ cups dry red wine, divided
    1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
    2 tablespoon tomato paste
    Kosher salt & black pepper
    ¾ pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells (I used 1 pound)
    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
    ¼ cup heavy cream
    ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 TB of olive oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more mintue. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 TB salt, and 1 ½ teaspoon pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.
  3. While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

  • Category: Medium
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jane says

    July 09, 2022 at 7:44 am

    One of my favorite Ina recipes. Suggested substitutions are good except the pasta - I have to disagree! My favorite part is the “little ears” orichette! Denser and “chewier” than shells.

    ★★★★★

  2. Jenna says

    December 02, 2021 at 7:02 am

    Thanks for commenting! I forget about this recipe and need to make it again so I can update this post. 🙂

  3. Jenny says

    December 02, 2021 at 4:51 am

    This is the best and easiest bolognese recipe. The flavour is exceptional for the time that it takes to cook. I have been making this recipe for years since I purchased the cookbook it was in but I wanted to find a site that I could leave a review because this recipe needs to be shared! My young children love it. Ina recommends picking a red that you like to drink and I totally agree (some cooks say get the cheapest red) but after testing a few different reds, I have found my favourite because it imparts a slight sweetness that just amps up the flavour and sheer enjoyment of it! I've used a Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon merlot but a nice Tempranillo has worked exceedingly well too. That would be my recommendation but then ultimately use what you prefer as there will be leftovers (which we enjoy very much). Also, after putting in the basil and cream I let it simmer on low for as long as possible. Top up, as they say with a touch of pasta water or the extra 1/4 cup of wine but the flavour develops extraordinarily well even after an extra 10 or 20 mins after the recommended time.

    ★★★★★

  4. Lorns says

    January 10, 2021 at 7:28 am

    Made the bolognese last night, was soooo good will definitely make this again and soon

    ★★★★★

  5. Jenna says

    June 06, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    Agreed, I also use half the salt recommended in her recipes.

  6. Ann Dalton says

    June 06, 2020 at 9:58 am

    I find Ina uses too
    Much salt I cut in half and add as needed

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Hey, I'm Jenna! I'm a graphic designer, photographer, and home cook from From Fargo ND. My air fryer is my favorite kitchen appliance to cook with. I created this blog to share recipe tips and tricks with everyone, enjoy!

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