Rigatoni with Meat Sauce: Slow-Simmered Hearty Bolognese

5 from 2 votes

Rigatoni with Meat Sauce: Slow-Simmered Hearty Bolognese

Rigatoni with meat sauce is a labour of love. This slow-simmered Bolognese bubbles away for a couple of hours until it transforms into a rich, thick sauce. The best part? Every ridge and hollow of the rigatoni catches those hearty flavors, making each bite feel like home.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian meat sauce, Italian bolognese, Italian ragu, rigatoni with meat sauce, pasta sauce with meat, easy pasta sauce with meat

Servings: servings

Calories: 554kcal

Author: Donna Poirier

Equipment

chef's knife
cutting board
measuring cups and spoons
Dutch oven
wooden spoon
large saucepan to cook pasta
collander

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots finely diced
2 ribs of celery finely diced
1 red onion finely diced
1 pound ground beef 80% lean/20% fat
1 pound lean ground pork
4 garlic cloves peeled and coarsely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes or 796 millilitres
1 (23-fluid ounce) bottle of passata or tomato sauce or 3 cups/680 milliliters
½ cup water
2 dried bay leaves
5 sprigs fresh basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt adjust to your taste
12 ounces rigatoni 340 grams

Optional

finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

Heat Oil & Sauté Vegetables: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and just starting to turn golden, about 8–10 minutes. This is your soffritto base, which adds a lot of flavor.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 medium carrots, 2 ribs of celery, 1 red onion
Add Meat & Garlic: Add the ground beef and ground pork. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it browns. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and all the liquid has evaporated, about 15-20 minutes. Once the liquid has evaporated, keep cooking until the meat starts to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pot, about 10 minutes. Caramelization equals LOTS of flavor. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
1 pound ground beef, 1 pound lean ground pork, 4 garlic cloves
Add Tomatoes & Water: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, passata or tomato sauce, and ½ cup of water. Stir well to combine and scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to unstick the brown bits.
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (23-fluid ounce) bottle of passata or tomato sauce, ½ cup water
Add Herbs & Simmer: Add the bay leaves and fresh basil sprigs. (No need to chop the basil-you’ll remove it later). Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook with the lid on for 90 minutes, stirring often. Remove the lid and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, with the lid slightly ajar, stirring frequently. If the sauce starts to look too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out.
2 dried bay leaves, 5 sprigs fresh basil
Adjust Seasoning: When the sauce has finished cooking, add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and adjust accordingly. Remove the bay leaves and basil sprigs.
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Cook Rigatoni: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
12 ounces rigatoni
Serve & Enjoy: Add several ladles of sauce to the rigatoni, toss, and add more or less according to your taste. Dust with a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve.
finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Notes

This recipe makes just under 10 cups of meat sauce. You will use roughly 3 ⅓ cups of sauce per 8 ounces (340 grams) of pasta feeding 4 people. The nutrtional information provided is therefore calculated based solely on 4 equal portions using a total of 8 ounces of pasta and 3 ⅓ cups of meat sauce. Of course you can use more than 3 ⅓ cups of sauce per 8 ounces of pasta but the nutritional information will change.

The remaining sauce which is roughly 6 ⅔ cups can be frozen for another day, and does not factor into the nutritonal information provided.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I don't recommend freezing the pasta.

Nutrition