Beef and Bacon Bolognese Sauce
This version of the hearty, Italian-style, meat-based pasta sauce is stocked with vegetables and herbs and further enhanced by simmering in bits of smoky bacon. Spoon it over your favourite type of hot cooked pasta.
Recipe - Quality Foods
Beef and Bacon Bolognese Sauce
Prep Time10 Minutes
Servings5
Cook Time45 Minutes
Ingredients
3 strips of bacon, cut into small cubes
500 grams lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup grated carrot
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinches granulated sugar, red pepper flakes and fennel seed (optional)
1 or 2 large garlic clove, minced
1 (14 oz./398 mL) can tomato sauce
1 cup beef stock
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup 2 per cent or whole milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5 servings of hot cooked pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, spaghetti or tortellini
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
chopped fresh parsley, to taste (optional)
Directions
- Place bacon in a medium pot and set over medium, medium-high heat. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered out. Remove pot from the heat, scoop bacon out and set in a bowl.
- Drain bacon fat from the pot and set back over the heat. Add beef, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook and stir until the meat is cooked through. Carefully drain the excess fat/liquid from the pot. Set pot back over the heat and mix in the tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, pepper flakes and fennel seed, if using. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Now add the tomato sauce, stock, bay leaf and cooked bacon.
- Bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Gently simmer, partially covered (don’t completely cover; steam needs to escape), for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thickened and flavourful. Mix in the milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and it’s ready to ladle over bowls of hot cooked pasta. Serve with Parmesan cheese and parsley, if using, for sprinkling on it at the table.
10 minutes
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
5
Servings
Shop Ingredients
Makes 5 servings
Schneiders - Hickory Smoked Classic Cut Bacon, 375 Gram
$9.49$2.53/100g
Canadian - CDN BF B/A Extra Ln Grnd Bf 91% FP, 1 Pound
$8.30/lb$1.83/100g
Onions - White, Fresh, 420 Gram
$2.77 avg/ea$0.66/100g
Celery - Bunch, Fresh, 675 Gram
$5.64 avg/ea$0.84/100g
Carrots - Bulk, Fresh, 100 Gram
$0.44 avg/ea was $0.50 avg/ea$0.44/100g
Hunt's - Tomato Paste - No Salt Added, 369 Millilitre
$3.79$1.03/100ml
Western Family - Fresh Sweet Basil, 20 Gram
$2.69$13.45/100g
Mccormick - Oregano Leaves, 11 Gram
$5.89 was $6.99$53.55/100g
Rogers - Fine Granulated Sugar, 1 Kilogram
$2.59$0.26/100g
Garlic - Bulb, Mesh, 3 Each
$1.49$0.50 each
Hunt's - Tomato Paste - No Salt Added, 369 Millilitre
$3.79$1.03/100ml
Knorr - Demi-Glace Gravy Mix, 34 Gram
$2.39$7.03/100g
Western Family - Bay Leaves, 22 Gram
$4.59$20.86/100g
Dairyland - 2% Milk, Partly Skimmed, 4 Litre
Free with 3450 Points Redeemed$5.69$0.14/100ml
Windsor - Salt & Pepper Shakers, 155 Gram
$5.99 was $6.49$3.86/100g
Western Family - Rigatoni Pasta, 500 Gram
$2.99$0.60/100g
Kraft - Parmesan Shredded Cheese, 200 Gram
$9.99$5.00/100g
Parsley - Italian, Fresh, 1 Each
$2.49
Directions
- Place bacon in a medium pot and set over medium, medium-high heat. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered out. Remove pot from the heat, scoop bacon out and set in a bowl.
- Drain bacon fat from the pot and set back over the heat. Add beef, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook and stir until the meat is cooked through. Carefully drain the excess fat/liquid from the pot. Set pot back over the heat and mix in the tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, pepper flakes and fennel seed, if using. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Now add the tomato sauce, stock, bay leaf and cooked bacon.
- Bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Gently simmer, partially covered (don’t completely cover; steam needs to escape), for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thickened and flavourful. Mix in the milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and it’s ready to ladle over bowls of hot cooked pasta. Serve with Parmesan cheese and parsley, if using, for sprinkling on it at the table.