Weeknight bolognese born out of both my love for bolognese and easy weeknight meals. I have partnered with Thrive Life for this particular recipe to make it EVEN easier and convenient for a weeknight. I love how bold the flavors are in this and I top this bolognese off with a touch of really good balsamic vinegar to balance out the savory spices in the sauce. I also highly recommend utilizing a pasta like fusilli to really catch all that delicious sauce in all the nooks and crannies - Let’s get cookin’!
1 package pasta, choose any shape you like, I prefer fusilli!
1 pound ground beef, I use 93% 7%
A few tbsp olive oil for browning the meat
1 cup water (can use more or less water depending on how thick you like your sauce!)
1/4 cup Thrive Life Chopped Onions
3/4 cup Thrive Life Classic Tomato Sauce base
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 generous tbsp Thrive Life Italian seasonings
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili
1-2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
3 tbsp thyme, can use spice or fresh*
2 tsp kosher salt
2-3 tbsp sugar
Big splash red wine, preferably Italian
Good balsamic vinegar, for serving
Good Parmesan cheese, for serving
Minced Italian flat leaf parsley, for serving
*If using fresh thyme, add in 1 tbsp of minced fresh thyme at a time until you like the flavor.
Instructions
Heat up a pot of water on the stove with a good pinch or two of kosher salt added to the water.
In a separate pan, heat up some olive oil. Once hot, add in your meat and begin browning/searing. Really try to allow the meat to caramelize in the pan. Place a few paper towels on a plate to prepare for next step.
Using a slotted spoon, spoon out the beautifully browned meat from the pan and place on the paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. In the meantime, add in the onions and allow them to absorb the excess oil and fat in the pan. Add in a few tablespoons of water to allow the freeze dried onions to absorb more liquid, if using Thrive Life products. If not, allow onions to cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so until garlic is fragrant.
Add pasta to boiling pasta water if you haven’t already at this point.
To the pan with the onions and garlic, add in the Thrive Life tomato sauce powder and begin adding water to the pan as well. Add in as much or as little water as you prefer, depending on how thick you like your bolognese to be.
Next, add in the sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper or Calabrian chili flakes, thyme, and Thrive Life Italian seasonings (can also sub in usual Italian seasonings if not using Thrive Life). At this point, I also added in some of the Italian flat leaf parsley I had minced for serving because I love the freshness it brings to the dish.
Add the meat back into the sauce and add in a good splash of red wine. Combine everything together and allow to sit over low heat for about 10 more minutes or so, stirring every couple of minutes. At this point, I recommend tasting consistently and adding more of whatever you think it needs. Bolognese is different for every family (and even every person) so don’t be afraid to make it your own!
When ready, serve with a drizzle of good, thick balsamic vinegar, freshly minced parsley, and freshly shaved parmesan cheese and enjoy!
