Easy One Pot Bolognese

Whether you’re searching for a filling dinner for Sunday supper or a quick weeknight meal, pasta is always a popular option. The next time you add a pasta dish to your weekly meal plan, why not skip the store-bought sauce and make your own instead? With this easy One Pot Bolognese, you can whip up a delicious homemade dinner with just a few minutes of prep work. Prepare the meat sauce ahead of time and freeze it until you’re ready to prepare your pasta dinner!

We’ve been on a big One Pot meal kick ever since we discovered how easy and tasty they are. One pot means less dishes. And when you’re the mom of a large family, “less dishes” is music to your ears!

Some of our other One Pot favorites:

• One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
• One Pot Taco Spaghetti
• One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta

Easy One Pot Bolognese Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef, browned
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 500 grams pasta sauce
• 400 grams diced tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock

For Day of Cooking:

• 300 grams penne pasta

Assembly Instructions:

1. Combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal.
2. Place the meat sauce ingredients in the freezer until you’re ready to start cooking.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Transfer the Bolognese sauce ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
2. Pour the contents of the bag into a large pot or deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until the sauce begins to boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the pasta. Continue simmering for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes, until the pasta is tender.

Does Bolognese Sauce Freeze Well?

One of the simplest ways to ensure you always have fresh pasta sauce on hand is to prepare it ahead of time and store the homemade sauce in the freezer. And since all the ingredients in this Bolognese sauce are freezer-friendly, it’s one of the best sauce recipes to make ahead!

As you’re preparing your meat sauce, use these tips for storing and freezing your homemade pasta topping.

• Allow the sauce ingredients to cool. Whether you’re freezing the sauce ingredients to cook later or storing the finished sauce in the freezer, it always a good idea to let the ingredients cool completely before you place them in the freezer. Storing hot ingredients in the freezer could result in excess moisture and freezer burn, which means it’s essential that your sauce is cool before freezing.
• Leave out the pasta. While pasta can be frozen, it’s a good idea to save the pasta for later when freezing this sauce. Instead of adding the pasta to the sauce ingredients before freezing, try cooking the pasta in the sauce to add even more flavor to your dinner.
• Store the sauce in a freezer bag. Although it may seem difficult to store sauce in a bag, it’s actually the most space efficient storage method. Transfer the sauce ingredients to a large freezer bag, remove as much air from the bag as possible, and seal it. After that, place the bag flat in the freezer until you’re ready to cook it.
• Don’t forget to label your container. Once your sauce is frozen, it can be difficult to tell what is inside your freezer bag. That’s why it’s essential that you take the time to write the name of the recipe on the outside of the container. It’s also a good idea to include the date of freezing and the expected expiration date on the bag so you cook your sauce before it goes bad.

How Long Can You Keep Homemade Bolognese Sauce in the Freezer?

When your sauce is stored properly, it will stay good for up to six months. To ensure freshness, it’s a good idea to prepare the sauce before the expiration date. While the ingredients may stay fresh for longer than that time frame, the quality and taste of the sauce ingredients may go downhill the longer it’s stored in the freezer.

What Can I Add to Bolognese Sauce?

One of the best things about this simple Bolognese recipe is that it’s easy to customize! Whether you want to add more vegetables or try different meats, you can easily adjust the sauce ingredients to suit your family’s tastes. Try mixing in some of these ingredients to add even more flavor to your homemade sauce:

• Diced bell pepper
• Finely chopped celery
• Chopped carrots
• Red pepper flakes
• Chopped or grated zucchini
• Italian sausage
• Red wine
• Ground pork

How Do You Store Bolognese Sauce?

This delicious sauce recipe is best enjoyed right after you cook it. But if you have leftovers, make sure to store them in the refrigerator or freezer. Transfer the cooked sauce to an airtight container. After that, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days or the freezer for up to six months.

Your leftover sauce can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.

What to Serve with One Pot Bolognese Pasta?

Now that you have your pasta with meat sauce ready to go, why not round out the meal with some side dishes? Try serving these recipe ideas the next time you prepare this Italian dinner.

• Garlic bread or breadsticks
• Side salads
• Roasted vegetables
• Corn on the cob
• Cornbread

Print

One Pot Bolognese

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Keyword: pasta

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef browned
• 1 onion minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups pasta sauce
• 14 oz. diced tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock

For Day of Cooking:

• 300 grams penne pasta

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

1. Combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock in a large resealable bag. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Pour the contents of the bag into a large pot or deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until the sauce begins to boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the pasta. Continue simmering for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes, until the pasta is tender.