My Favorite Pasta Bolognese: The Best Meat Sauce
You’re not sad, you just need a big bowl of bolognese. 🍝 And if pasta is also one of your happiest places, then you already know a really good bolognese starts with the right pasta.
I’m swapping in this brand new IrResistible Pro-Gut Pasta, and honestly, I was really curious to see how it would hold up in one of my favorite pasta recipes.
It has 16 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber per serving, and it’s made with resistant starch, which is a prebiotic fiber that supports gut health.
And the best part is, it still has that classic pasta taste and texture,
Honestly, this might be my new favorite way to make Bolognese!
Let’s Talk About This Bolognese
If there’s one thing I will never get tired of, it’s a big bowl of pasta with a really good meat sauce. This Bolognese is hearty, full of flavor, and made with simple ingredients that come together to make one seriously good dinner.
The sauce starts with garlic, chili flakes, carrots, celery, and onion. Then we add ground beef, tomato paste, fresh thyme, Italian seasoning, and just a little brown sugar to balance out the tomato flavor. It’s savory, rich, and has just enough warmth from the chili flakes.
And here’s something I love about this recipe: the fettuccine cooks right in the sauce! No need to dirty another pot for the pasta. It simmers in all that goodness until tender, soaking up the flavor along the way. You’ll want to keep a little extra chicken stock handy to add as the pasta cooks.
for days you aren’t in a rush
On days I’m not in a rush, I actually prefer a longer-simmered Bolognese. Follow the instructions as written below, but leave out the fettuccine. After the initial simmer, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Add a little extra chicken stock if needed. Cook the fettuccine separately according to the package directions, then serve the Bolognese over the cooked pasta.
A Little Fun Fact About Bolognese
Bolognese actually comes from Bologna, Italy, where the traditional meat sauce is known as ragù alla Bolognese. And while we’re used to seeing it served with spaghetti here in the States, it’s traditionally paired with wider, ribbon-style pasta like tagliatelle. So we’re in pretty good company with our fettuccine!
Why I Love IrResistible Pro-Gut Pasta
I love finding little ways to make the meals my family already enjoys a bit more nutritious, without sacrificing the foods we actually love. That’s what caught my attention about IrResistible Pro-Gut Pasta.
It has 16 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber per serving, thanks in part to resistant starch, a type of prebiotic fiber that supports gut health. And honestly, I was most curious about the taste and texture. Nobody wants to give up a really good bowl of pasta!
This fettuccine held up beautifully in the Bolognese, and it still had that classic pasta taste and texture. It’s an easy swap in a dinner we already love, and that’s always a win in my book.
Making the Bolognese
Start by building your sauce with the garlic, chili flakes, celery, carrots, and onion. Add the ground beef and cook it into the vegetable mixture, then stir in the tomato paste, thyme, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, and black pepper.
Pour in the chicken stock and let everything simmer for 10–15 minutes so those flavors can come together.
Now for my favorite part! Add the fettuccine right into the sauce and cook until tender. The pasta will absorb some of that flavorful broth as it cooks, so add more chicken stock as needed.
And that’s it! A big pot of hearty, homemade Bolognese and one very happy pasta lover. ❤️
One Pot Fettuccine Bolognese
Ingredients
- avocado oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 14.5 oz box IrResistible Pro-Gut Fettuccine
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken stock plus more as needed
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large braising pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until softened, then add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
- Add the ground beef to the same pan. Break it apart and cook until browned.
- Add the tomato paste to the browned beef and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, allowing the tomato paste to toast and deepen to a rich red color.
- Return the sautéed vegetables to the pan. Pour in the chicken stock and add the fresh thyme, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, and black pepper. Stir to combine. (If you want a long-simmered bolognese and to cook the pasta separately, see notes below!)
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Add the fettuccine directly to the sauce and cook until tender, about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken stock as needed while the pasta cooks to keep the sauce from getting too thick.
- Once the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened, remove the thyme sprigs and serve!
Notes
- Prefer a longer-simmered Bolognese? Follow the instructions as written, but leave out the fettuccine. After the initial 10-minute simmer, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Add a little extra chicken stock if needed. Cook the fettuccine separately according to the package directions, then serve the Bolognese over the cooked pasta.
- Keep extra chicken stock nearby! The fettuccine absorbs quite a bit of liquid as it cooks, so add more as needed.
- Stir the pasta frequently while it cooks to help prevent sticking.
