A wholesome and comforting rigatoni bolognese! Ground beef, sautéed veggies, red wine, tomatoes, and classic Italian seasoning. This delicious meal comes together in one pot, in under 30 minutes!
What You’ll Need to Make Rigatoni Bolognese
Ground Beef – I recommend a lean ground beef for this recipe! Also, remember to season it with plenty of salt in the first step.
Italian Seasoning – If you don’t already have Italian seasoning in your pantry, you MUST go get some. It’s a staple in my Italian home, and adds the perfect blend of dried herbs to whatever I’m cooking. Italian seasoning is essential in this rigatoni bolognese, so don’t even think about going without it!
Red Wine – A touch of dry red wine contributes tons of depth to this dish. However, if you don’t like or have red wine, you can use 1/2 cup of beef broth instead.
Rigatoni Pasta – Rigatoni is the perfect pairing to this homemade bolognese sauce! Its wide opening allows plenty of room for the sauce to fully wrap around each noodle. Though if you don’t have any rigatoni, feel free to use whatever pasta you have on-hand! Spaghetti bolognese is always delicious, too.
Tips and Tricks
- Want to make this rigatoni bolognese in the Instant Pot? Follow my Instant Pot bolognese recipe, then serve over rigatoni!
- The longer you let the sauce simmer, the more flavorful it’ll be. This recipe requires just 15 minutes of simmering, but if you have the time – leave it to simmer even longer! You can simmer this sauce for up to an hour for TONS of flavor.
- Prep a double batch of this bolognese and store half in the freezer for a later date! To freeze this sauce, let it cool completely then store in an airtight container. It stays fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs
Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: For a vegetarian rigatoni bolognese, replace the ground beef with two cans of drained lentils!
Make it Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free rigatoni, I love this brand.
Classic Rigatoni Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt, to taste
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry red wine, or beef broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- fresh grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef and a big pinch of salt. Cook until beef is no longer pink, breaking the beef apart with a spoon as it cooks.
- Once beef is cooked through, add in the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook until veggies are soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and red wine. Cook for about 5 minutes, using your spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the jar of crushed tomatoes with its juices, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- While the bolognese simmers, cook rigatoni pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain pasta from water.
- Remove bolognese sauce from heat, add in cooked pasta, and stir to coat pasta in sauce. Serve warm with fresh grated parmesan cheese on top.
