Bolognese Pasta Recipe
Introduction
Vermicelli Bolognese is a hearty Italian pasta dish made with thin vermicelli pasta and a rich Bolognese meat sauce. Vito’s version combines ground beef with onions, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, butter, and seasonings, then serves the sauce over tender vermicelli pasta with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
This comforting Bolognese pasta recipe is perfect for a family dinner and brings together the rich flavors of a classic Italian meat sauce with thin, delicate pasta.
Watch the Video
Watch Vito prepare his Vermicelli Bolognese step by step, from chopping the vegetables and preparing the ground beef sauce to cooking the vermicelli and plating the finished dish.
What is Authentic Bolognese Sauce?
It’s a rich Italian meat sauce made with ground meat, vegetables, and tomatoes. In Vito’s version, ground beef is cooked with onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste before being combined with vermicelli pasta and finished with Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Ingredients for Bolognese Pasta Recipe
- Vermicelli pasta
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Water
- Sugar (optional)
How to Make Beef Bolognese Recipe
1. Prepare the Vegetables
Chop the onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Vito uses shredded carrots that are chopped into smaller pieces, but regular carrots can also be chopped by hand.
2. Cook the Garlic
Heat a little olive oil and butter in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook gently to release its flavor.
3. Sauté the Onion and Carrots
Add the chopped onions first and allow them to cook down and brown slightly. Add the carrots and continue cooking until they begin to soften.
4. Add the Mushrooms
Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté them with the onions and carrots. Cook until the mushrooms release much of their moisture and the vegetables are nicely combined.
5. Season the Vegetables
Season with salt and black pepper, then continue cooking the vegetables together.
6. Add the Ground Beef
Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until it is fully browned and no longer pink.
This is where the dish develops its Bolognese meat sauce base.
7. Add Tomatoes and Tomato Paste
Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to the cooked beef and vegetables. Stir everything together.
Vito also adds a little sugar to his sauce, which is optional.
8. Add Water and Simmer
Add water to the sauce and allow it to cook down. Letting the sauce simmer gives the tomatoes, beef, vegetables, garlic, and seasonings time to come together.
9. Cook the Vermicelli
Cook the vermicelli in salted water until al dente.
Vito uses vermicelli because it is slightly thinner than regular spaghetti. After cooking, he rinses the pasta when needed and adds a little melted butter to help keep the pasta firm and prevent it from sticking together.
10. Combine the Pasta and Bolognese Sauce
Add the cooked vermicelli directly to the Bolognese sauce and mix until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
11. Plate and Garnish
Place the Vermicelli Bolognese in the center of a plate and top it with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately and enjoy.
What Pasta Is Best for Bolognese?
Vito uses vermicelli for this Bolognese recipe. Vermicelli is a thin pasta that is slightly thinner than spaghetti and works well with the rich meat sauce.
For this particular recipe, use vermicelli if you want to make it exactly as Vito prepares it.
Tips for Making Bolognese
- Cook the onions before adding the carrots and mushrooms so the vegetables have time to soften.
- Cook the mushrooms until much of their moisture has evaporated.
- Brown the ground beef thoroughly before adding the tomatoes.
- Let the Bolognese sauce cook down so the flavors develop.
- Cook the vermicelli al dente so it holds its texture when combined with the sauce.
- Add Parmesan and fresh parsley when serving for extra flavor.
- Sugar is optional and can be added according to personal preference.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vermicelli Bolognese?
Vermicelli Bolognese is pasta made with thin vermicelli noodles tossed with a rich Bolognese meat sauce. Vito finishes the dish with Parmesan and fresh parsley.
What meat is used in this Bolognese recipe?
Bolognese is traditionally prepared with ground meat, and this recipe uses ground beef as the main protein. The beef is cooked with onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste to create a rich and flavorful meat sauce.
What vegetables are used in this Bolognese?
This Bolognese recipe uses onions, carrots, and mushrooms, along with tomatoes and tomato paste, to create a rich and flavorful Bolognese sauce. These vegetables add depth, sweetness, and texture to the Italian meat sauce.
